


An Elemental Difference - Air

by BlondeBecca28



Series: An Elemental Difference [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2020-08-20 04:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 43
Words: 138,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20221780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlondeBecca28/pseuds/BlondeBecca28
Summary: Aella Bennett is known to the residents of Mystic Falls as the fun, sarcastic, bubbly girl that has a spot in everyone's heart.Can Aella's presence in Mystic Falls along with her Elemental magic change things for the better? Will her knowledge of Vampires help her cousin and best friends?And will her relationship with Stefan Salvatore save them both?Follow Aella through The Vampire Diaries as she unknowingly changes things for the better, helps Stefan become a better vampire and gives the gang a little kick ass power in the fight to save their town. Fellow witch, nutty best friend and enough sarcasm to impress even Damon Salvatore.Pre-Vampire Diaries and follows the series to the end.





	1. Prologue - Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**1st CENTURY B.C**

“You are so slow! Keep up, Silas!” Aelia laughed as she ran through the forest, the blue material of her dress and head-dress billowing behind her. 

Silas paused his run, smiling at the joy in his love’s voice before gaining speed again and nearing closer to her. Just before she could leap over the creek, Silas caught her in his arms, spinning her around in circles. 

She turned her head, looking over her shoulder, smiling brightly at Silas, before kissing his cheek as he set her down, turning her to face him.

“Oh, gentle, sweet man,” she sighed, stroking his cheek. “What shall your reward be for catching me?”

“Hmmm, how about a real kiss?” Silas grinned in amusement. 

Aelia raised her brow, pursing her lips in thought, “I suppose the victor that captured the fleeting lady shall be compensated”.

She leaned forward and allowed her lips to meet his own, smiling against his lips as that familiar tingle enveloped her body. She pulled back, noticing Silas still had his eyes closed, a smile spread across his face and leaned forward, pecking his lips once more.

“Oh, Silas,” she sighed. She fell into his welcoming arms, almost humming as his hands stroked her long brunette hair a comfort she could only feel from Silas. “I never want this moment to end; I wish to be with you for all eternity.”

“I don’t ever want to be parted from you either. Even in death,” He smiled, curling the long strands around his fingers.

“This could be a possibility,” Aella beamed. “I had a vision of Qetsiyah and ourselves in a new, beautiful world wearing strange garments. She believes that this could be possible using an elixir.”

“Qetsiyah?” Silas questioned, feeling a slight unnerve. “She believes this is one of your visions?”

It was no secret that Aelia’s visions were worshipped amongst their community. While they could not be forced, they did appear when most needed. This was just one of the very many powers that made Qetsiyah, Silas, and Aelia known as the most powerful beings in their colony. 

“If Qetsiyah believes this to be true, and can create an elixir that can defeat even death, then we must speak with her soon so our worries can be freed,” Silas suggested. He took Aelia’s hand, leading her back to his quarters as she laughed at his urgency.

Arriving at Silas’ quarters, Silas pecked her lips once more before walking with speed to where he knew Qetsiyah would be.

Aelia shook her head with a grin as she stepped into his quarters, moving to where her brush lay beside his own, so she could smooth back the knots that had developed while running from Silas. Just as her hand began the first stroke, a hand seized the brush from her delicate hands. 

Aelia smiled through the mirror at the girl with her beautiful face covered. It was a must for all those who served the witches of their group, Qetsiyah’s most important demanded from the women. 

“Dearest Amara, must you hide your face from your closest friend? Qetsiyah will not come to these quarters while she is planning her party,” Aelia smiled.

Amara stared through the mirror at Aelia for a moment before moving her hands to where her scarf clasped near her ear. Unhooking the clasp, the material fell to reveal her smiling face. When Aelia clapped her hands at the action, Amara smiled down at her before combing the rest of Aelia’s dark silky hair. 

“Do you know what Qetsiyah is planning the celebrations for?” Amara questioned, finishing the first stroke at the bottom of Aelia’s spine.

Aelia shrugged her shoulder, “She is keeping it a secret from me, but she did say that it involves Silas. I’m hoping it’s to celebrate his birth week; he becomes of age after the next full moon.”

“Does she know the nature of your relationship with Silas? I fear she feels more emotions for him than you realize.”

“Qetsiyah knows that Silas and I are to be betrothed from my Grandmother’s vision. Should she wish to go against what has been prophesized, then I fear there will be severe consequences.” Aelia frowned slightly, which quickly turned to a smile, though Amara did not miss the uneasiness in Aelia’s eyes. “Silas has declared his love for me to many, and I would hope that as one of my two closest friends, she would not wish to harm that.”

“I do hope that, Aelia. You and Silas are very dear to me. I would not wish anyone to come between the love you both share and the friendship we three share,” Amara sighed, squeezing Aelia’s shoulder.

Aelia turned quickly to face Amara with a sly grin on her face taking her hands, “I had a dream that I know is a vision. I saw myself, Qetsiyah and Silas, in a new world wearing strange garments. What I did not tell Qetsiyah or Silas is that I saw _ you _with us. I believe that Qetsiyah will create an elixir; it will allow Silas and I to be together until the end of this world. It will also allow me to be with my sisters for that time too!”

“Sisters?” Amara questioned. “But, we are not blood!”

“We are everything but blood, Amara!” Aelia declared, almost bouncing on the spot. “I would never wish to walk this earth for all eternity without my love and my best friends! Should Qetsiyah be able to create this elixir, she could save some when both of you meet your destined love, and then we can be happy for as long as there is air to breathe!”

“That sounds beautiful, Aelia.”

“Yes, it does,” Silas’ voice echoed the small quarters as he entered them with a smile.

“Silas!” Aelia exclaimed and walked over to him, kissing him softly on the lips. “Did you speak with Qetsiyah? Was she able to create the elixir? Was my dream really a vis-”

Silas silenced Aelia’s question with a laugh and a finger on her red rose lips. He then moved his left arm from behind his back with a bottle containing a dark liquid.

“Your dream was indeed a vision of our future, which Qetsiyah was able to create,” Silas smiled brightly. So brightly, Aelia and Amara missed the slight panic in his golden eyes. “We shall drink this as Qetsiyah has done, so our friendship-” he looked to Amara “-and love-” he smiled at Aelia “-can be one for all eternity!”

Silas then drank from the bottle leaving just enough for Aelia and Amara to have their own sip after passing them the bottle. 

“Forever,” he smiled, pulling Aelia into his arms.

“Forever,” Aelia echoed, holding tightly onto the hand of Amara and the body of Silas.

“And I desire to spend forever bound to you,” Silas declared, letting go of Amara’s hand, pulling Aelia’s body close to his own. He dangled a gold necklace in his free hand. “Will you agree to be my betrothed?”

Aelia’s eyes glistened with tears as she smiled brightly at Silas, “It will be my greatest honor to be bound to you. To be able to share my mind, body, and soul with you.” 

She felt her legs shake from excitement as she rose, so her eyes aligned with Silas’, his nose touching hers stroking it slightly. Their eyes were connected for a second when she finally gave in and closed hers as their lips softly met. The warmth of his mouth sent a current running through her body as Aelia touched his face while she lost herself in the happy moment.

“It’s my mother’s necklace,” Silas explained as he clasped the gold metal around her neck. “The token of our coven that my father bestowed to her when they were bound together.”

Amara smiled brightly at her closest friends, so happy to be witness to this moment.

Aelia stepped back out of Silas’ arms as she smiled, looking from Silas to Amara then back to Silas, “I must share this happy news with my family!

She ran out of the tent before running back and kissing Silas once more as Silas and Amara laughed at her excitement.

Aelia skipped through woods heading to the quarters that housed her family. Her mind so lost in the happy memories of what had just passed, she missed Qetsiyah angrily making her way through the forest. But love was not on Qetsiyah’s mind as she stomped her way towards Silas’ tent, a plan forming in her mind. 

Qetsiyah stopped, staring at Silas’ quarters, angry, crushing the flower that lay dead in her palm. As she strode to the tent, she could see two shadows as they walked about. Finally, Qetsiyah would know the woman who had stolen Silas from her. She moved closer, slower this time so that she wouldn’t alarm those in the tent. She could hear Silas’ voice full of excitement.

When she reached the entrance of the tent, she glanced through the small opening. She could clearly see Silas as he hugged someone lower than himself; she could see by the daintiness of the hands that they belonged to a woman. When the woman stepped back smiling, Qetsiyah silently gasped to herself as she saw her most loyal handmaid, not only with her face uncovered but also hugging her love. The feeling of betrayal filled her body as the two laughed together. 

Feeling the cure she had created in her pocket, she knew that she had to deal with this issue. She needed to save Silas so he would no longer be blinded by Amara’s dark, seductive magic.

“I am so thankful for this gift you have bestowed on me,” she overheard Amara tell Silas. “We can be together forever.”

Qetsiyah’s heart broke when Silas agreed, stepping forward once more to wrap his arms around Amara. 

“I must find Aelia!” Silas declared stepping back and turning towards the entrance. 

Qetsiyah quickly moved around the tent so she would not be discovered. She felt the tears falling down her face as Silas ran out and into the forest. 

Slowly walking back to the entrance, she knew what she had to do.

.................................................

.................................................

Aelia stepped back into Silas’ tent, slightly concerned that she could not tell of her happy news to her family. She had looked in other shelters and still could find no one.

She opened her mouth to ask Amara where they could be, but questions turned to screams when she saw blood all over the bed and curtains that she had laid in just that morning. 

She covered her mouth in horror as the tears fell down her face soaking her hands and dress. Whose blood, was that? What had caused all this damage?

She turned to run out of the tent and back to her mother’s shelter when a force stopped her from doing so; it was like an invisible shield was preventing her from leaving. She turned back to the horrifying scene and let out a shocked scream when she saw Qetsiyah standing in front of the bed, blood covering her hands.

“Qetsiyah,” she cried in relief that her closest friend and cousin was standing there and not hurt. “Do you know of what caused this scene? Do you know who’s blood this is?”

Qetsiyah just stared at Aelia for a moment, which caused a shiver to go up Aelia’s spine. Qetsiyah was just about to answer when she saw the candlelight reflect something on Aelia’s neck. She stepped forward and, with her blood-covered hands, revealed the glistening to be a gold necklace she recognized as Silas’ mothers. A token of marriage worshipped amongst their people. 

“You too?” Qetsiyah questioned to herself.

“What? Qetsiyah, are you ill? Who’s blood is that?”

Qetsiyah looked up into Aelia’s eyes, anger filling her own, “You have betrayed me too!” 

“Betrayed?” Aelia questioned, stepping back as a fear enveloped her body. She knew that Qetsiyah could be unstable in the mind when she was emotional; she could create a whole new world in her mind. But, when she returned to the real world, she would get the two confused with each other. She had been like this since a child, but she had never confronted Aelia with anything.

“Silas and you.”

“Yes,” Aelia nodded, forcing a smile on her face. “Silas asked for my hand in marriage, and I said yes.”

“Yes!” Qetsiyah shrieked, making Aelia jump. “You both betray me and force it in my face as if you have done no wrong!”

“Betrayed? Wronged?” Aelia had never felt so confused or scared. “Silas and I have been betrothed since our Grandmother’s vision, you know of this Qetsiyah. You were with Grandmother when it was prophesized.

“You lie!” Qetsiyah raged, turning her palm to Aelia, arresting her in place. “Silas is mine! We were to be married today, and then we would drink the elixir.”

“Silas marry you?” Aelia exclaimed as the tears continued to fall. Qetsiyah had honestly forgotten what fiction was and what was reality. “You knew we were to be married. You knew we were all going to take the elixir! You are confus-”.

“Confused?” Qetsiyah interrupted her hand, shaking as it held Aelia in place. “I’ll show you confused, just as I showed Amara!” And before Aelia could say anything, Qetsiyah closed her hand into a tight fist. She ignored the screams emitting from Aelia, just as they did from Amara moments before, her blood dripping down her arm as her nails pierced her palm.

Qetsiyah stared down at Aelia’s still body, a proud smirk painted on her lips, “Two down, one to go.”

..............................................

..............................................

Silas returned to his quarters, a feeling of uneasiness surrounding his heart; he had not located Aelia or Qetsiyah. As he reached the entrance of his tent, he stopped in his tracks at seeing Qetsiyah sitting on the forest floor with the chalice that had initially held the elixir of immortality.

“What are you doing here, Qetsiyah?” Silas questioned, taking a hesitant step forward.

“I brought you two gifts.” Qetsiyah smiled to herself almost manically as she stroked the cloth that lay upon the vessel. “The first is the chalice from which we were to drink at our wedding.” 

“You mean my wedding to Aelia?”

“Aelia!” Qetsiyah hissed, shaking her head. “Not Aelia. You and I.”

“You know if the vision your grandmother made for Aelia and I. You knew we were to be betrothed, not you and I.”

“No!” Qetsiyah slammed her fist to the ground. “Grandmother’s vision was wrong; she explained to me that it was you and I. You and I were the vision. She was incorrect. She told me during the last full moon.”

Silas raised his hands as a sign of surrender, “That’s not possible, Qetsiyah, your Grandmother wasn’t here during the last full moon. She was... she passed away one lunar cycle ago.”

“Lies!” Qetsiyah hissed, picking up the decorative golden box next to the chalice. “Aelia told you lies. I was angry with you. I was... for a time. But then I realized it was within my power to forgive you by creating this... Your second gift-” She opened the golden box and pulled out a container filled with a liquid similar to the immortality elixir “-the cure for immortality.”

“That’s not possible,” Silas frowned, taking a step back.

“I promise you, it works,” Qetsiyah smirked. She stood with the cure in one hand and the cloth-covered chalice in the other as she innocently told him, “I just used it on other immortals, and the effect was almost instant.”

“Aelia,” Silas whispered to himself in horror while his eyes filled with tears. “What did you do?”

He pushed passed Qetsiyah ignoring the proud smile painted on her lips. Lifting the tent’s cloth, he was greeted with the bed he laid in just that morning with Aelia, covered in blood. 

“No! Aelia... my beautiful Aelia!”

Tears defacing the sheets and curtains surrounding; the amount of blood staining too much for anyone to survive.

“Aelia... my friend Amara.”

“If I did not feel betrayed enough by my betrothed using my closest handmaiden’s body...” Qetsiyah said, stepping in the tent with the vessel and cure. “But he had also fallen for the lies of my deceitful cousin who was like a sister to me!”

She walked closer to Silas ignoring his tears, “Amara was easy to subdue, she wasn’t a fighter and fell with the first hit. But dearest cousin Aelia, she couldn’t speak after I cut her throat. Though, I could tell by the way her heart was beating-” She lifted the cloth from the vessel and removed the heart laying there, ignoring the blood as it slid down her hand “-she knew she was going to die.”

“I will kill you,” Silas bellowed out, stepping towards Qetsiyah. “I will kill you!”

Qetsiyah held her hands up and halted his movement as she had with Aelia, “You will not come near me unless you take the cure and give up your immortality.” Silas fell to the floor groaning in pain as his head felt like it would combust, “Take the cure, Silas. We can live long human lives... together.”

“Never!” Silas laughed insanely. “I will never drink that cure. You destroy my future, and I destroy yours!”

“Arghhh!” Qetsiyah screamed her anger and magic, knocking Silas unconscious. As he fell to the floor, she smiled down at him, “Don’t say I didn’t give you a second chance.”

Qetsiyah stepped over Silas’ body to where she had hidden Amara and Aelia’s bodies and dragged them, so they laid either side of Silas. Qetsiyah disregarded how both their skin had become grey. The spell she had used would be so that they would no longer talk, nor walk, nor move at all. They were completely immobilized.

As she stared at the three bodies with hatred, she knew what needed to be done.

>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	2. Calm down Sharpay, I don't have my jazz hands ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

** **

**September 2009**

**GRAMS’S HOUSE**

** **

Aella Bennett stood in her Grandmother’s sitting room; eyes closed softly.

“Breathe in deeply,” her Grandmother coached, standing opposite her, eyes not leaving her granddaughter. “Imagine the shape, the color, the size. And once that is locked in your mind, feel yourself lifting it, only a little, still breathing slowly, and letting it hover there for a few minutes.”

When Sheila Bennett glanced over her shoulder, hoping to see her old broken down Bronco hovering slightly off the ground, she was even more surprised to see the car almost level with the garage roof.

Quickly turning back to her granddaughter, she tried not to let the alarm in her body travel to her voice. “And now feel yourself pulling back the air gently and letting the car land on the ground so soft it would never realize anything had moved.”

Sheila smiled brightly as she watched the Bronco return to the ground as Aella successfully executed what she had instructed her to do.

“Brilliant! Now open your eyes and relax,” Sheila laughed as Aella opened her eyes excitedly. “Did it work? Did I do it?”

“You did it,” Sheila nodded excitedly, pulling Aella into her arms and hugging her tightly. “All the way to the top of the garage roof!” She pulled Aella back, looking into her granddaughter’s green eyes, “You, my dear, are a very powerful Wicca. You need to appreciate the powers that have been bestowed onto you!”

“I will Grams,” Aella nodded, grinning brightly. “The roof?”

“The roof!” Sheila chuckled, pulling away and making her way to the kitchen, Aella following her. “I panicked for a second, then realized; if she got it up there, she could get it down again.”

“You have so much faith in me, Grams.”

“I have faith in you because your Father, he made it very clear you were dedicated to learning and appreciating the same powers he and your mother had.” Sheila smiled at her over her shoulder as she fixed some Green Tea for them. “Unlike myself and your cousin, you are both an Elemental Wicca and Traditional Witch; your powers are entwined around you at all times! The Air, Earth, Water, and Fire elements; you can find wherever you are.”

She brought the steaming teapot over to the table as Aella set their dedicated teacups in front of their owners. 

As Sheila poured the tea, they sat down, breathing in the calming Green Tea scent as she held it up to her mouth, Aella coyly looked to her Grandmother before taking a sip. “Speaking of cousins with magic...” 

“Don’t beat around the bush Aella Bennett, it’s not your style and certainly not dignified!” Sheila smirked, sipping her own tea.

Aella laughed, “When are you going to finally tell B, that’s she’s a witch?”

“Don’t look at me like that, child!” Sheila warned, setting her cup down. “I wanted to tell Bonnie since she was old enough to understand the power she has inside, but that fool she lives with said no!”

“So? Will you?” Aella asked, “Even if she still lives with, the said, fool.”

“She’s at that age where she should decide big decisions like this herself,” Sheila explained, taking another sip of her tea. “So the next time she comes, I will tell her. How? I’m not sure, but she will know of her history and the things she will be able to do.”

“Good!” Aella nodded, finishing off her tea. “About time, I can talk about these powers with my cousin and best friends!”

“Who will you tell first?”

“I did think about Caroline,” Aella admitted then shrugged her shoulders. “But it was Elena’s dad that opened my eyes about the supernatural phenomena.”

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD, 2006**

_ 14-year-old Aella Bennett stood in the Gilbert’s kitchen, stirring her coffee, and her Grandmother sat in the sitting room with Mr. Gilbert, Elena, and Jeremy. They were discussing Sheila’s plan for Aella; now, she was living with her._

_ Mrs. Gilbert was in the kitchen with her, stood with her back to Aella as she stirred the potatoes bubbling on the stove._

_ She watched the milk mix with the black coffee as she stirred, appreciating the peace she was currently in. It had been two weeks since the funeral of her parents. People were still sending their sympathy cards and delivering tearfully prepared casseroles._

_ Aella knew her parents had been vital to their community. Nevertheless, the outpouring of love for the young deceased couple was shocking to her. It made her proud to be their daughter._

_ Calvin and Natasha Bennett were the best parents any child could have. Calvin married Natasha, an Elemental Wicca, immediately after graduating at 21-years-old. Calvin was lucky to be given a position at Samphire Clinic, a Private Doctors clinic. The clinic was owned by Natasha’s Father, Stewart Samphire, and over a hundred others scattered all over America. _

_ When Aella was 8-years-old, her loveable, rosy-cheeked Grandfather passed away in his sleep. Natasha, at only 30-years-old, knew she wouldn’t be able to handle the company, raise a child, and still enjoy her job. So she chose to make the company stocks available to the public. Astutely, Natasha was able to purchase 45% of the capital and became a silent owner, with a majority vote, allowing others to handle the business. That stock now belonged to her daughter; Aella inherited her Grandfather and Mother’s fortune that she would receive on her 30th birthday. Aella would never have to worry about money. That had always been parents’ wishes should they ever pass; they wanted her to live safely with no money worries if they couldn’t be there._

_ Aella could feel her magic flowing through her veins, begging to be used. She hadn’t used her magic since her parent’s deaths; the memories of using magic with her parents too painful to remember. Yet her magic was a part of her, they flowed through her veins and were desperate to be used. The begged her to be used._

_ Glancing up at Miranda, who was now stirring the gravy, Aella looked across the table to where the sugar lay too far from her reach, but not far enough for her magic. Gesturing with her right hand, the sugar slid across the table directly into Aella’s hand._

_ “ I saw that.”_

_ Aella looked up in surprise at the face of a very amused Mr. Gilbert._

**SHEILA’S HOUSEHOLD, 2009**

“That man and his wife were God’s Angels when they offered you a space in their home,” Sheila smiled, stroking Aella’s hand. “I could have had you here easily, but the Gilbert’s knew you needed a Mother and a Father, plus people your own age close to you. I’m further out than any of your friends, which would have been difficult. And they helped so much raising you to be an even more beautiful independent young woman than I, nor your parents could ever imagine.”

Aella blinked back the tears nodding at her Grandmother’s words, “They did help me become pretty awesome.”

“Pretty awesome?” Sheila shook her head, blinking away her own tears. “You’re a Bennett; you, my dear, are _ totally _awesome!”

Aella smiled brightly, giggling loudly, “I get it from my Grams.”

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

“Hello, hello, hello!” Aella greeted Jenna as she walked into the Gilbert House kitchen.

“Someone had a good afternoon with Grams,” Jenna laughed, looking up from her magazine.

“It was!” Aella declared, pulling the cloth bag hanging from her hand onto the worktop. “Grams made us all lunch for tomorrow, including you.”

“Your grandmother is a godsend!”

“Yeah, she is,” She agreed, moving the boxes to the refrigerator. “She knew you’d be busy preparing for your presentation to make us kids lunch.”

“Shit!”

Aella looked around the fridge door laughing as Jenna ran out of the kitchen. A few moments later, she returned with her arms full of folders, “You totally forgot about your presentation!”

“How the hell are you more organized than I am!?” Jenna demanded, setting the folders out to organize them.

Aella shrugged to herself, searching the fridge for something to munch on, “When your parents die a few weeks after your 14th birthday, you kind of have to grow up a lot.”

When the kitchen became very quiet, Aella stuck her head out again, chewing on some raw carrots to see Jenna walking towards her, arms open, and eyes full of tears. Jenna grabbed Aella, pulling her into her arms and rubbing the teens back, “You’re a good girl, Lia. Your parents and my sister and brother-in-law did a good job.”

“Thanks, Jenna,” Aella awkwardly patted her on the back. “You’re doing a good job too.”

Jenna scoffed, pulling away while discretely brushing her tears away. She returned to her college folders, looking at them in disgust before sitting down with a huff as Aella walked away, laughing and heading upstairs.

Just as Aella was about to enter her room, she could see the legs of Jeremy Gilbert tapping away as he lay on his bed. She gently opened his door and walked in, smiling as he shuffled over, without her asking, to make space for her.

She could recognize the disgustingly familiar smell of weed on Jeremy as she lay down but ignored in favor of having a pleasant, relaxing time with her adopted little brother.

Again, without asking, Jeremy pulled out the earbud from his left ear and held it out to her as she stuck it into her ear and was welcomed to the familiar tones of Green Day. Tapping her foot to the same beat as Jeremy’s, she mouthed words to one of her favorite Green Day songs, Boulevard Of Broken Dreams.

This was how Aella bonded with Jeremy; music, space, and allowing him to open to her - not forcing him like she’d seen Elena and Jenna try to do. This didn’t work with Jeremy at all; in fact, it turned him towards pills and weed just to forget everything. 

It was a familiar feeling for Aella. 

Aella only had one rule for Jeremy if she was to be just a friend and not an overbearing presence: No drugs used in her proximity. Surprisingly, he complied, not realizing as Aella and him ‘chilled’ he craved pills and weed less and less.

When Aella noticed the worn picture of her, Elena, him, and their parents in his right hand, she realized that he was struggling. It made sense why she could smell the odor of weed in the room. So, without a word, she rested her open hand on her leg. It was only seconds until the familiar warm hand of Jeremy’s covered her own and squeezed it tightly. Of course, she squeezed back.

But typical Aella couldn’t take the silence for too long and just blurted out, “So I’m pretty sure I saw our Drivers Ed teacher totally starkers in his car jamming to Hannah Montana on the way home...”

She glanced over at Jeremy; her eyes met his as a scoff tumbled out of his mouth, followed by a loud laugh that made Aella feel pretty damn good.

“You did not!”

“Oh, I so did. Billie Joe Armstrong!”

“Bitch!”

“Jerk!”

**THE NEXT DAY**

As she wrote in her diary, Elena smiled to herself, the familiar sounds of Jeremy and Aella laughing aloud as they argued while getting ready for school. It was the only thing normal about their first day back at school.

.................................................

Dear diary,

Today will be different. It has to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say, ‘I’m fine, thank you.’ ‘Yes, I feel much better.’ I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new.

Jeremy is smiling again and seems to be back to normal more days than not, I know that is due to Aella. We are so lucky to have our own Aella, I’m pretty sure we would all be arguing like cats and dogs if she wasn’t here. She knows exactly how we feel except she has lost two sets of parents while Jeremy and I have lost one. If she can smile, laugh, and act crazy like she always has well, so can I. 

.................................................

“**Lia! Give me back my shirt!”** Jeremy yelled, followed by Aella’s laugh, and Elena giggled to herself again.

.................................................

I will be strong for Aella, for Jeremy, for Jenna, for Mom and Dad. I will make them proud.

.................................................

“Morning!”

Elena looked up to see one of her best friends leaning on her door frame, hair and shirt slightly damp and smiling brightly, “Morning, Jeremy get his shirt back?”

Aella scowled, shaking her pajama top, “Dirty traitor surprised me while I was brushing my teeth.”

“We have to leave soon,” Elena looked her best friend up and down. “Why are you not dressed?”

“Who have I got to impress?” Aella shrugged.

Elena playfully wiggled her brows, “Tyler?”

“Ugh!” Aella stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Never in a million years! Tyler Lockwood! More like, Tyler Douchewood!”

They both giggled as Aella walked back to her room to finally get ready.

.................................................

.................................................

Five minutes later, the two Gilbert’s and the lone Bennett ran down the stairs eager for the black treasure that was coffee. Aella, who was packing her bag head down suddenly, stumbled into someone’s back, looking up she saw the Gilbert siblings stood in shock, mouths wide open.

Aella stood on her toes, glancing over their conjoined shoulders to see the cause of their shock. Letting out a loud laugh, she pushed through the two at the sight of Jenna Sommers, not only dressed for her presentation but casually leaned against the counter drinking her coffee. Her college work in its bag ready to go, three coffee cups filled with coffee, and three brown lunch bags waiting to be taken.

Picking up her personalized Aella cup, she held up her hand to Jenna and high fived the prepared Aunt feeling totally stoked for her.

Gulping down the coffee, Aella placed the cup in the sink and pushed through the still shocked/confused Gilbert siblings. Shouting back, she finally knocked them out of their daze, “Off to pick up, C! Have a good presentation, Jenna. See you later!”

She could faintly hear Jeremy ask Jenna if she was ‘well’ as she threw on her denim jacket. 

**FORBES’ HOUSEHOLD**

“Hi, Forberinos!” Aella called out as she walked into the house without knocking.

Caroline stuck her head out her bedroom door, staring Aella down, “I thought we banned you from watching Full House!”

“_Good morning Aella, how are you this fine day?” _ Aella smirked, walking into the Forbes kitchen and pulling out her own personalized mug and pouring herself another coffee. She had her own cups at all her friend’s houses. “Plus, yes, I am banned. Quoting is not watching!”

“We’ll amend the contract!” She heard Caroline growl back.

“Morning, Aella!” Sheriff Forbes smiled, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“Oh!” Aella laughed to herself, spinning to face the Sheriff placing her hands on her fake belt and lifting her lips, Elvis style, and in her best John Wayne accent said, “Howdy Sheriff!” And tipped her imaginary hat off to her.

Liz laughed out loud, a typical action when around Aella Bennett, “Never change, honey.”

“Mom!” Caroline exclaimed, walking into the kitchen, pulling Aella’s cup from her hand, and taking a sip before giving it her back. “Yes, change! She needs to get a boyfriend! Our BFF pact specifically states that we cannot marry without the other dating to avoid that awkward third wheel!”

“I do _ not _ need to change!” Aella scowled, taking a sip of her coffee when some spilled from her mouth onto her white shirt, “Shit!”

“Need I say more, Mom?” Caroline presented as Aella wafted her shirt, protecting her chest. She sighed to herself, walking to her room, ignoring her Mom’s smile that was threatening to appear at Aella’s actions, “I’ll get you one of mine.”

**AELLA’S CAR**

“I LOVE this top!” Aella smiled over at Caroline as she drove them to school.

Caroline frowned over at her, which quickly changed to a smile as Aella pulled a silly face at her best friend while she waited at a stop sign.

“Now,” Aella said as she accelerated her car. “What will we not say to Elena today?”

Caroline grumbled, pulling out her phone and pulling up the text Aella had sent her last night, “Do not hug Elena like you would at a funeral. Do not ask how she is or anyone else how she is. Don’t second guess her and especially DO NOT call her; Poor thing, orphan or lonely girl. God! Am I so predictable?”

“Yes!” Aella exclaimed, laughing as Caroline threw her phone back in her bag. “Those are exactly the same things you did and said to me when we first met! How the hell did you become my best friend?!”

“Because, I’m Caroline Forbes,” she smirked at Aella. “I’m fabulous!”

“Calm down, Sharpay,” Aella chuckled at her. “I don’t have my jazz hands ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	3. But we'll get fabulous tans!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

“Major lack of male real estate,” Bonnie Bennett declared as she and Elena made their way to their lockers. “Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks like a hot — can I still say ‘tranny mess’?”

“No,” Elena screwed up her face remembering what Aella told her last week. “Aella told me that’s derogatory.”

“Oops, our little TV geek knows her stuff!” Bonnie smirked then sighed loudly, “Ahh, find a man, coin a phrase. It’s a busy, busy year.”

Elena looked over Bonnie’s shoulder to see her ex, Matt, standing at his own locker, staring sadly at her. Waving at him, she was met with a blank stare before he shut his own locker and walked off, “He hates me.”

“That’s not hate,” Bonnie tried to summarize in a glass half full way, “That’s ‘you dumped me, but I’m too cool to show it, but secretly I’m listening to Air Supply’s greatest hits.’”

“**OH MY GOD!”** came a familiar voice turning their attention from Matt to the brunette pulling the embarrassed blonde through the crowd. “Who is that hot Bennett girl standing there looking so fine?!” Aella smirked at her other best friends.

Bonnie laughed, pulling a dramatically confused face, “Don’t you mean hot Bennett Cousins that just look so freakin’ hot even Matt Bomer would turn straight!”

“Ooohhhh,” Aella jumped on the spot clapping excitedly. “That’s a good one, yes, please!” She then jumped to Bonnie, hugging her tightly, “Morning cousin!”

Bonnie squeezed her back just as tight, “Morning!”

“Okay, who spiked Aella’s coffee this morning?” Elena questioned as Aella jumped over to her hugging her ‘Good Morning’ even though she’d seen her this morning.

“She’s been like this since she arrived at my house,” Caroline grumbled, hugging Elena and Bonnie. She took care to follow Aella’s rules, “Quoted ‘Full House,’ and did a John Wayne impression in my Kitchen.”

“You guys are boring!” Aella rolled her eyes, opening her locker and quite happily throwing her bag in it. She slammed the door quickly before it, and anything else could fall out.

“Oh!” Caroline squealed as she looked at her phone. “New hottie spotted walking through the courtyard! Finally, someone to look at who didn’t go through puberty with us!”

“How the hell did you find that out, Pirot?” Aella asked, leaning against her locker.

“Because I’m fabulous!” Caroline smirked, opening her own locker and placing her bag in there as she took out her folders. “And... I have eyes and ears everywhere.”

“Ladies and Gentleman,” Aella announced, clapping sarcastically. “Sharpay Evans, our resident Musical Theatre nerd, who is really using that disguise to hide her real identity: Big Brother!”

“Sarcasm is the lowest form of flattery,” Caroline smirked, looking back at her phone as the three girls laughed to themselves at her mix up.

“Well, I’m bored!” Aella declared before skipping to History class, ignoring the looks everyone gave her as she skipped past them.

“That’s never good,” Elena groaned as the two girls ran after their hyperactive best friend pulling Caroline by her arm as she read updates about the new hottie.

Finally, they reached Aella, who had now slowed down to walking like an average person but singing Britney Spears’ ‘_ Hit me baby, one more time’ _ to herself.

“Hold up!” Bonnie stopped pulling Elena, who pulled on Aella. “Who is this?”

At that question, Caroline, who had been receiving live updates from her spies, looked up instantly at Bonnie’s words.

“It’s the new Hottie.”

“Where?” Aella jumped looking over her friend’s shoulders, It sucked being the shortest of your friends when they all wore heels.

Bonnie pulled her sleeve, bringing Aella to the front of them.

“Hubba hubba!” She smirked, looking up at all her friends, laughing as they shoved her in warning.

“I’m sensing he’s from Seattle,” Bonnie smirked at her best friends. “And he plays the guitar.”

“No way!” Caroline shook her head, shaking the blonde curls, “Sensitive, most definitely. But I’m thinking more New York than Seattle.”

“Well, you know what they say, right?” Aella questioned.

She spotted Jeremy make his way to the men’s room, his eyes so irritated Aella could see them from her position at least four feet away. When she realized her friends were waiting to hear her theory, she smirked, “Sensitive on the streets, sexy in the sheets!” 

They all giggled, not noticing Stefan look over his shoulder, smirking at the comment.

Except for Aella.

“Oh no,” Elena sighed, seeing Jeremy.

Aella shook her head at Elena when she saw the emotion build up in her friend’s eyes, “Leave it to me.”

Elena smiled in appreciation as Aella walked over to the men’s bathroom and stepped in without an issue.

.................................................

.................................................

“**Boo!”** Jeremy jumped at Aella stepped around the divider giggling.

“Bitch!” Jeremy laughed and continued adding the drops to his eyes.

“Jerk!” Aella shot back, laughing as she sat on the sink next to the one Jeremy stood at.

Aella leaned back against the mirrored wall as Jeremy checked the redness in his eyes, she wasn’t going to shout at him as she knew Elena would do, she knew the mentality Jeremy was in at the moment, and that didn’t need tough love.

“So is this the effects of last night’s high, or is this a Monday Morning fix?” She asked, picking at her nails.

When she was met with silence, she glanced up at the annoyed look growing on his face, obviously waiting for Aella to shout at him as Elena and Jenna would. Aella hastily raised her hands in surrender, “It’s an actual curiosity. You know me J, even vitamins make me gag! I mean, even thinking of it makes me-” she stuck out her tongue and screwed up her face “-gag!”

“You’re ridiculous,” Jeremy laughed. “But it’s a ‘last night’ thing,” he shrugged. “I thought the first day back at school needed a clear-minded me.”

“I’m glad.”

Jeremy jumped on the sink next to her and leaned back, taking a heavy sigh. They sat in silence for a few minutes, which surprised even Aella, who was pretty sure that she could never be quiet for that long.

“A,” Jeremy sighed, playing with his ring. “Thanks.”

She smiled at her hands before looking over at the brunette boy. She shrugged off the thanks, “You’re like a little brother J. I’ll always be there for you, Elena-” she chuckled to herself “-even Jenna.”

“I know.”

Aella nodded against the mirror, letting things go quiet for a moment before she jumped off, clapping her hands and grinning at Jeremy, “Enough of this mushy emo moment! Let’s scare some guys and hope they piss their pants!”

Jeremy laughed out loud and jumped off the sink, he followed Aella to the divider, which provided some privacy for the bathroom. Aella sniggered as they crouched down, waiting for an innocent bystander to walk in the bathroom. When Aella heard the door open a little, she jumped up and out of her space, “**Boo!”**

“**Agh!”** The boy screeched, and when Aella opened her eyes, she could see it was Matt, which made her laugh even harder, holding her stomach.

“**Lia!”** Matt growled, holding his chest, breathing heavily, “What the hell are you doing in here?!”

But Aella couldn’t talk from laughing too hard and tapped Matt on the arm as passed him, his lady-like-scream echoing in her mind as she left the bathroom, still giggling. Until she slammed into a chest... Which felt more like a wall.

Opening her eyes, she wasn’t greeted by the many spotty faced freshmen that had started today but the face of a Greek god, “Whoa!”

“Uh, pardon me.” The Greek god spoke, and it was then that Aella realized this was the guy whose ass she was staring at just 10ten minutes before “Um...is this the men’s room?”

“That?” Aella pointed at the door, still a little shocked the tight ass guy had a handsome face to mask. When he nodded with a small smirk, Aella laughed, “Yes! That is the men’s room, I was just uh... I... um... I am a guy! Surprise!” Smiling as she gave him a smile and shook her hands like a Broadway fool.

When the Greek God laughed instead of looking at her like a freak, Aella summarized he must have some sense of humor.

“I’m Aella Bennett,” she stuck out her hand. “And I really am a girl.”

“That’s good to know,” he smiled. “I’m Stefan Salvatore,” he placed his hand in hers, going to shake it when he felt a spark almost shoot through his entire body. And at the slight jump from Aella, he knew she had felt the same sensation.

They stared at one another before she shook her head slightly and pulled her hand away from his, “Do you need to use the bathroom?” She pointed at the men’s room.

“Huh?” He stared at her, confused for a second before he quickly shook his head, “No. I’m just getting to know the layout of the school. I was heading to History with Mr. Tanner after.”

“Me too!” She smiled. “Brilliant idea about the men’s room,” Aella nodded, giving him a thumbs up. “Bathroom location is a must know in any location.”

“Do you mind if we walk and talk West Wing style as we head to History?” Aella pointed behind Stefan to the corridor she needed to be going down.

“I’ll be Toby?” Stefan smiled hesitantly, which grew when Aella practically jumped on the spot. “I’ll be CJ, you know West Wing?”

“Best TV show on TV,” Stefan shrugged as they started walking to class.

“After Full House, of course,” Aella returned, nodding in a severe tone, to which Stefan nodded along, “Of course, what was I thinking?”

Aella glanced over at him, laughing, enjoying their chat so far.

“So, Aella is a pretty uncommon name?” Stefan asked.

“My parents were hippies born in the wrong decade. I think it means ‘whirlwind’ and was the name of an Amazon warrior in ancient times?” Aella shrugged. “But, I guess that just makes me more legendary!”

Stefan laughed again, shocked how many times he had laughed already today. The cause was definitely the giggling girl walking next to him. If Stefan wasn’t already enamored by her smile, her humor just drew him in more and more.

“It was...” Stefan confirmed to her. “An Amazon warrior’s name. Aella was killed by Herakles during his quest for the Hippolyta’s girdle.”

“Wow! Well, I guess Irene Adler was right when she said ‘brainy is the new sexy,’” Aella smirked. “And what does Stefan stand for? Defender of mankind? Or Protector of the innocents?”

“Not that impressive,” He grinned at the suggestions. “Stefan was one of the seven chosen to assist the apostles and was the first Christian martyr.”

Aella was silent as she thought it over, then leaned over to Stefan and whispered, “Not as good as an Amazon Warrior, right?” She winked, pulling away, laughing with him.

“But honestly,” Aella shrugged, slowing down to a stop outside door 315. “It’s an amazing skill to memorize all that information. I mean, I can only just remember the order of the planets in our Solar System, and that’s only because of a dumb rhyme I saw on a British TV show years ago!”

Stefan raised his eyebrow, prompting her to tell it to him, and she sighed dramatically, “Okay, if you’re begging me to tell you!” She cleared her voice and prepared herself, causing Stefan to chuckle, “Many Vile Earthlings Munch Jam Sandwiches Under Newspaper Pile! Tada!”

Stefan clapped as Aella took a bow ignoring the looks from others as they walked down the corridor. “I like it,” He nodded. “Strange but memorable.”

“Exactly! Well, Mr. History nerd welcome to hell, also known as History class with the most idiotic annoying man in the entire planet!”

Stefan raised an eyebrow at such a harsh statement, “100% honest!” She declared her own eyebrows, almost reaching her hairline. “He always gets my name wrong, and he’s taught me for two years! If you can’t get a student’s name right, how the hell are you supposed to remember important things?”

When he didn’t lower his eyebrow, Aella shook her head smiling brightly, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

Stefan opened the door for her, ignoring the stares he received almost immediately, “I will apologize should I find your correct.”

“Yes, you will,” She smirked and stuck her nose up in the air as she walked past him into the room. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Stefan smirked, following her down the lanes of desks and chairs until she sat down on a free one, and he sat down in the one directly to her right.

They both started getting their equipment ready for the class when Stefan heard a female voice whispering Aella’s name. Yet, the sarcastic girl he had grown fond of already was blissfully unaware of her name being called as she hummed to herself, getting her books and pens out. The Full House theme Stefan believed which made him smile to himself.

“Aella!”

“Pssst Aella?”

Said person was now drumming her two black ink pens on her desk as she went through the theme again only slightly louder.

Stefan glanced over at Aella just in time to see a pencil fly from the Blonde haired girl’s hand and hit Aella right on top of the head, “Fuck a duck! Who threw that?” Aella moaned, standing up, rubbing her head and looking around.

“Well, if you had answered the first time instead of drumming out to a banned song! You would have heard me,” Caroline hissed leaning over to Aella.

“The show is banned, not the song!” Aella hissed back, leaning closer to Caroline.

“Page two. Paragraph six. Line three. I checked last night after you left me _ three _ voicemails last week singing the theme to annoy me!” Caroline smirked, leaning back happy she finally had Aella’s attention and one over the brunette.

“Ugh!”

“So...” she smiled, ignoring the glare Aella was sending her. “We totally followed you and the hottie until you reached the classroom, does he sound as hot as he looks!”

“No comment!” Aella glared, sitting back in her seat. “You threw a pencil at me!”

Stefan laughed to himself as the apparent best friends argued. The rest of the class didn’t even bat an eyelid, which obviously meant this was a usual occurrence.

“Best friend contract states we must tell each other everything about hot guys!” Caroline whined.

Aella turned back to Caroline, smirking, “Page Two, Paragraph Six, Line Three Billion, says otherwise! Check it!”

“I hate you!”

“Puh-lease! You love me.”

Smack! Caroline’s head met her desk, and Aella snorted to herself.

.................................................

.................................................

“Once our home state of Virginia joined the confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia’s northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south.”

Aella rested her head on her left hand. She drew silly pictures on her notepad, trying to keep Tanner’s monotonous voice from putting her to sleep.

_Buzz! Buzz!_

Aella’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out, opening the group chat between her, Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie.

**Caroline: HAWT-E. STARING @ U**

**Elena: Six times already!**

**Bonnie: He keeps smiling @ A & frowning @ E!**

**Aella: What did u do E?**

**Elena: IDK?**

Aella turned to look at Elena directly behind her to see her smelling her hair, wondering if Stefan didn’t like how she smelt.

“Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union-”

Aella snorted, turning around quickly to face Tanner as she put her phone back in her pocket.

“Well, Miss Giggles,” Tanner frowned over at Aella, making her quickly sober up. “Let’s see if you were listening, in what year did the northwest region break away to join the union?”

“Huh?” She frowned, totally confused as the class laughed at her response.

Tanner shook his head, sighing heavily, “Moving on, “Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union-”.

.................................................

.................................................

After school had finished, Elena was quick to run off to the cemetery without seeing her friends due to having a different final class to Aella, Bonnie, and Caroline.

The remaining girls slowly walked to their cars that were parked next to each other.

“So... Grill tonight for our annual first day back catch up sesh!” Caroline declared as they reached their cars, Aella and Bonnie nodding at her.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Aella drawled, earning a smack from Caroline.

“So!” Bonnie exclaimed, sitting down on the bonnet of Aella’s shiny red car when she unlocked the car. “Whose turn is it to drag Elena from the cemetery?”

Bonnie and Caroline looked at each other, smiling before looking at Aella as she threw her books into her back seat, smirks on their faces. At the quietness, Aella looked up directly at their smirks and moaned loudly, stamping her foot, “No fair! Pick on the girl who also hasn’t got parents and slow reflexes!”

“Oh, please!” Caroline waved her off, ignoring the pout on her best friend’s face. “That excuse ran out when you got drunk last summer screaming ‘no parents no rules!’.”

Bonnie nodded at Caroline, then faked her own pout glancing over at Aella and wiped fake tears away. Caroline patted her back in comfort, “I lost my aunt and uncle too! So I’m still feeling the pain.”

“You two will burn in hell!” Aella glared as the sad faces of her closest friends quickly turned into smiles as they ran over to Bonnie’s black car.

“But, we’ll get fabulous tans!” Caroline smiled, waving. She and Bonnie got in her car and quickly reversed, leaving Mystic Falls High and a glaring Aella behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	4. ...said the serial killer never!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS CEMETERY**

Aella locked her Honda Civic as she stared up at the cemetery entrance unemotionally, before taking a deep breath and making the familiar walk to Grayson and Miranda Gilbert’s shared grave.

As she entered through the opened gates, a black crow flew and landed on the gate, cawing annoyingly.

Aella shivered, glaring at the big black bird before walking on muttering to herself, “Crow in a cemetery, not creepy at all!”

When she reached the graves of her adoptive parents, Aella caught sight of her best friend sitting on the grass writing in her diary. It was a place their small group of friends knew Elena would visit quite often but was now lessening the journeys more and more as she healed emotionally from their sudden loss.

“Knock, Knock!” Aella impersonated, knocking lightly on the tall grave next to her as Elena looked up at her in surprise. “Can you knock on graves in cemeteries?” She looked around and down at the grave she knocked on, “If not, sorry ‘Elizabeth Clarke, who passed away peacefully in 1954’.”

Aella shrugged, stepping over Elizabeth’s grave, ignoring Elena’s sniggering.

“What are you doing here?” Elena asked, smiling up at her hilarious best friend.

Aella walked over to the Gilbert’s grave, giving a light tap as she looked down at Elena. “I got outvoted by the Biracial Olsen Twins to pull you out of here and to get ready for-” Aella placed a fake smile on her face and said in an over the top Valley Girl accent, “-Like the 1st day back gossip sesh that annually is at the Grill... Like totally!” 

She returned to her usual voice, “Plus, they knew I’d eventually annoy you with so many Full House impressions you’d be practically running out of here.”

“I thought Caroline banned you from Full House for excessive quotation?” Elena questioned, frowning at the strange behavior her adopted sister seemingly always had.

“I found a loophole!” She laughed evilly, twirling her fake mustache.

“And that is?” Elena held her hands out to her friend, who pulled her up with a fake groan.

“Full House episodes must not be watched in any house or on any devices that belong to a Gilbert, Forbes, Bennett, Lockwood, and Donovan.” She memorized, holding up her pointer finger ala Sherlock Holmes.

“Ok?” Elena frowned, wiping the leaves and dirt off her jeans.

Aella picked Elena’s bag off the ground handing it to Elena as both girls missed the white diary, still laying in the uncut grass. “It didn’t mention watching fan-made videos of each season’s best moments on YouTube that are like 20 minutes long each!” Aella reached her arms to the sky, “I finally can bond with Uncle Jesse again!”

Elena pulled her arms down, laughing, looking around to see if anyone had been disturbed by her crazy friend, “You are crazy!”

“And you love it!”

Elena smiled, pulling Aella into a side hug, squeezing her tightly as they made their way to Aella’s car, “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

** **

Aella finished tying her hair up and threw her small cross-body handbag over her shoulder and made her way down the stairs.

“I’m meeting the girls - see you later!” She called out to Jenna, reaching the foyer.

All of a sudden, Jenna swiftly ran towards her, “Wait, wait, wait!”

Aella raised her eyebrow at her new guardian as Jenna composed herself then pointed at Aella, “Don’t stay out late; it’s a school night.”

Aella smirked, “And how many times have you said that now?”

Jenna smiled brightly, “You’re my final kid - sound good?”

“Very Carol Brady,” Aella nodded, taking her keys out her handbag.

Jenna smiled to herself as she made her way up the stairs and fist-pumped the air.

Shaking her head at her adopted Aunt, she opened the door, never expecting in a million years to see Stefan standing on the other side.

“Holy cow, Uncle Jesse!”

“Sorry,” Stefan apologized, though he raised his eyebrow at another Full House reference. “I was about to knock-”

“-Said the serial killer never!” Aella interrupted snorting.

Stefan laughed, pulling out a familiar white book, “I thought Elena would want this back.”

“Whoa!” She exclaimed, taking the diary from him. “That she would... It’s practically attached to her hand! I’m surprised she didn’t notice, thank you so much!”

“It’s no problem.”

Aella scoffed, “Yeah, well, no problem would be handing it to Elena tomorrow. You didn’t have to bring it all the way out here. How did you know where she lived?”

“It’s a small town,” Stefan explained a little lost. “I asked the first person I met, though maybe they were wrong seeing as you’re here?”

“Huh? Oh! No,” Aella laughed, placing the diary on the small table next to her. “This is Elena’s house; I live here too!”

“Sisters?”

“She wishes!” She threw back offhandedly. “No, my parents died a few years ago, and instead of living with my Grandmother, Doctor Gilbert invited me to live here. So I was around people my own age, plus it’s a lot closer to school.”

“That’s really nice of them,” he smiled at the thought.

Aella nodded in agreement, smiling brightly, “He and Mrs. Gilbert were amazing! I feel truly blessed to have known them, let alone been raised by them.”

Stefan scratched his eyebrow at the past tense words she used, “Yeah, I heard they died a few months ago.”

Aella shrugged, “Yeah, but Jeremy and Elena are solid, they’re coping.”

“You must help them a lot, knowing exactly how they feel?”

Aella smirked, “That’s what they say... But again, they’ll say anything to shut me up most days!”

They both laughed for a moment until the atmosphere became silent again, “So...” Aella raised a brow at Stefan, pointing to the diary. “Did you read any to get the gossip on Elena?”

“No, not at all,” Stefan was quick to shake his head. “I mean, Elena is a beautiful girl, but... um, she’s not the girl I’m interested in.”

“Oh, really?” Aella smiled, but those closest to her would see it was forced. “So who’s the lucky girl that’s caught the new guy’s eye?”

Stefan’s lip quirked at the skip in her heartbeat, “Well, I’ve always admired a girl who could memorize silly rhymes to remember the order of the planets...” 

He smiled at Aella, who couldn’t stop smiling back, hoping to God her face wasn’t bright red. Aella bit her lip, “Do you want to come to the Grill?”

He happily nodded, although asked confusedly, “The Grill?”

Smirking, she stepped out of the house, gesturing to her red car, “You’ll see. C’mon, I’ll drive.”

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Jeremy entered the popular eatery, and, for the first time in a long time, he was sober.

He saw Vicki heading his way and held his hand to her in greeting until she completely blanked him.

Quickly stepping into her path, he cut her off before entering the kitchen, “Hey, what’s your deal? I mean, summer you act one way and then school starts, and you can’t be bothered.”

Vicki sighed in frustration, looking anywhere but at him, “Look, Jeremy, I really appreciate all the pharmaceuticals. But you can’t keep following me around like a lost puppy, especially since you’ve gone cold turkey.”

He ignored the cold turkey comment; he wasn’t ready to discuss his decision with anyone yet. Instead, he smugly raised his brow, “When’s the last time you had sex with a puppy?”

“Hey, keep it down!” Finally, she looked at him, pushing him closer to the kitchen and away from listening ears. “I don’t want the whole world knowing I deflowered, Aella Bennett’s sidekick. She would kill me, somehow resurrect me, and then kill me again.”

“Ellie’s harmless,” Jeremy snorted. But he knew, just as well as Vicki, how much of a lie it was. “I couldn’t hear you complaining when she was in the next room.”

“We hooked up a few times in a drug haze,” she shrugged half-heartedly. “It’s over. You gotta back off before you ruin things between Tyler and me, your little Ellie is already successful in that, and she can’t even stand him! I need to focus on him.”

He laughed out loud, “Oh, come on! The guy’s a total douche. He only wants you for your ass; at least Aella and I can see that.”

Vicki scowled at the admiration Jeremy had for Bennett and smiled sarcastically, “Yeah? At least Ellie has millions of dollars to fall back on and people to rely on instead of providing for a little brother and deadbeat mom!”

Jeremy shook his head, was he really this dumb when he used to get high? “Yeah, she may have money! But she’d give that up in a second if he meant she could have her parents back.”

He stepped back from Vicki, who was shocked at how quickly the argument had flipped after Aella was mentioned. “But the most significant difference between you and Aella was that she would never sell herself short.

.................................................

.................................................

“Welcome to the Grill,” Aella introduced Stefan walking in. “Evening date place, local drinking spot, the only place that doesn’t smell like a farm and the meetup space for most of Mystic Falls High!”

“It has character,” Stefan noticed, looking around, not failing to spot her best friends staring at them.

She laughed, looking around for her friends, “I think my first thought was... Food! Where?”

It was too easy to spot Caroline, who was waving at her smiling brightly before mouthing at her ‘_ He is so hot! _’

Aella shook her head and turned to Stefan; he couldn’t hide the smile at Caroline’s in-your-face attitude; it seemed like they were good friends. “Anyway... want to meet my friends?”

Stefan nodded and held his hand out in that direction, “Absolutely, lead the way.”

“I’m warning you now,” Aella murmured to Stefan as they walked over. “Caroline probably knows everything about you already... so be prepared!”

Stefan smiled, mesmerized by the green of her eyes, before nodding and smiling at them as they reached the table. Aella didn’t have to say anything before Caroline, quick to play musical chairs, made sure she and Bonnie sat on either side of Stefan. They would play the intimidating friends while forcing Aella to sit opposite him so he could keep staring at her. Elena happily sat next to her housemate; she was never good at the intimidation factor and just watched on smiling.

If they couldn’t have Stefan Salvatore, their best friend would.

“So, you were born in Mystic Falls?” Caroline was quick to question him, taking mental notes in her head.

“Mm-Hmm,” Stefan nodded, taking a sip of his coke. “moved when I was still young.”

“Parents?” Bonnie was quick to ask.

Stefan wondered when this question would come up and took a quick glance at Aella. Almost instantly, he couldn’t stop the smile spreading its way across his face as he watched blowing bubbles in her coke. It was apparent; she was trying to ignore the questions her best friends were throwing at him. 

“My parents passed away,” he answered honestly. His head tilted when Aella’s shot up, her straw still in her mouth and eyes wide.

She quickly pulled the straw out and smiled softly at him, “Really?”

When Stefan nodded, she shook her head, too many children losing their parents young. “I’m so sorry.”

Stefan smiled in appreciation, “I know you are.”

But the stare didn’t break; they just gazed at each other, her best friends nudging and smiling at each other.

“Any siblings?” Elena coyly asked, smirking when the two jumped at the interruption.

Stefan cleared his throat, taking another sip of his coke, “None that I talk to. I live with my uncle.”

“At the Boarding House, right?” Aella asked, confirmed by Stefan’s curious nod. “I had a photography project there last year before I dropped the class. Zach, let me take photos of the beautiful structure. You’re fortunate to live there.”

“You’re right; it is beautiful,” he smiled.

“So, Stefan,” Caroline smirked, with a sly look in her eyes that worried Aella. “If you’re new, then you don’t know about the party tomorrow.”

“It’s a back to school thing at the falls,” Bonnie quickly explained, seeing where Caroline was going with the conversation.

“Are you going?” Stefan asked, looking to Aella.

Caroline scoffed, waving her hand, “As if I’d allow her not to go!”

Aella shook her head at Caroline before looking to Stefan, smiling, “My handler has spoken for me.”

As the table laughed out loud and continued getting to know each other, Tyler Lockwood glared over at them. Vicky came over, clearing the table to hear him complain, “He’s been here all of 5 minutes, and he’s making them all giggle?!

Matt smirked, nodding his head in thanks to his sister before he looked at his best friend, “You’re just jealous he’s looking at Lia.”

Vicki looked over at Tyler, waiting for him to wave off her brother’s statement. Still, Tyler’s scowl only grew, “Lia hasn’t dated one guy since moving here, and now Mr. James Dean has her wrapped around his finger!”

Vicki had enough of hearing about the Aella show from Jeremy, and now Tyler. She scowled at Tyler before stomping off back to the kitchen, both boys unaware of her irritation.

Matt snorted loudly, “You and I know very well that Lia is wrapped round no one’s finger, after all; she’s got you round hers and kept you away like the plague.”

“Shut up!” Tyler grimaced, throwing his napkin at his smirking best friend.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Stefan sat at his desk, staring at his old journal, the last journal he wrote in while he was alive. If today was anything to go by, he knew that whatever feelings he’d had for Katherine had simmered when he saw Elena for the first time. But it had vanished entirely when Aella’s smile met his, and her laugh replaced every bad memory he retained.

Placing the photo of Katherine back in the book, he walked over to his cupboard, settled it in its usual place, and closed the door.

Today as he sat with Aella and Elena, not once was he tempted to sneak glances at the Katherine look-a-like. Instead, his eyes would involuntarily shoot to Aella to watch what she was doing, smile at what she was smiling at, and laugh when she laughed out loud.

Aella Bennett was a beautiful person in and out. What made her so different from Katherine, from the many girls he’d met over the years; she had no idea how beautiful she was, and Stefan wanted to be the one to change that.

Opening his journal, he picked up his pen.

.................................................

I thought I shouldn’t have come home; I knew the risk. But I had no choice - I had to see her. Now I know: she isn’t Katherine, not that I wanted her to be, but I now know she isn’t what I want.

I don’t want Katherine or Elena; I need to know Aella Bennett. She intrigued me like no one has ever done before.

I feel drawn to her and can’t explain why. I want to see and be the one to make her laugh and smile. I want to hold her when she’s sad and laugh when she says or does something unexpected.

She’s unique. 

Is she of the Bennett Coven line? She wears the ring of Emily Bennett, which I am sure. 

Does Aella have magic running through her veins?

I’m simply not able to resist her and nor do I want to.

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

Aella laid on her back, her fingers dancing in the air as she spun her books and pens in the air. Moving her fingers to the beat inside her head of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, pretending her black pen was Mary Poppins, the Red pen was Burt, and the books were the cartoon characters.

Laughing to herself as she started singing the song again, “This is so much more fun than studying!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	5. My Li Li Lia is the DD tonight!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

** **

The next day Aella stared at Tanner as he went on and on about some battle. The audience of her two most precious stuffed animals, SuperTed and AnnieB, had demanded six encores of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Aella was exhausted, seriously regretting those six encores, the only thing that was coming out of Tanner’s mouth was, ‘Blah, blah blah blah blah blah.’ She really hoped Elena was making notes.

Feeling someone’s stare on her, she glanced to her right only to be met with Stefan’s gorgeous face. He had been in her dreams last night. However, most dreams didn’t end with the two dancing with Mary and Burt pens, singing Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Stefan smiled at her, mouthing, ‘_ Hi _ .’ Aella giggled to herself before mouthing back the same greeting, ‘ _ Hi _.’

“The Battle of Willow Creek occurred right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? Ms. Bennett?” Tanner questioned, making Aella’s eyes move from Stefan to Tanner.

“Which one?” She questioned instantly.

Tanner, as per usual, did not look impressed, “Bonnie?”

“Um... a lot?” 

Aella turned quickly to smug at her cousin, who obviously didn’t know the answer as she went into further detail, “I’m not sure. Like a whole lot.”

The class sniggered, her cousin the loudest, as the frown line on Tanner’s forehead started to form, “Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Bonnie. Mr. Donovan? Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype? “

“It’s okay, Mr. Tanner,” Matt waved him off coolly. “I’m cool with it.”

Aella turned to the athlete, quickly flexing her arms at Matt, “Muscles!”

“Muscles!” Laughed Matt copying her back.

“I saw that!” Caroline scolded Aella at the Full House reference. She needed to fix that contract now!

Tanner did not look amused, but he never did with Aella in his class. “Hmm. Elena? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town’s most significant historical events?”

“I’m sorry, I--I don’t know.”

“I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal-”

“-Wait! I feel something” Aella stood up, holding her head.

Tanner literally groaned out loud at the interruption, dropping his chin to his chest... he hated kids. Stefan looked around in confusion as everyone else in the class either smirked or laughed or, in Elena’s case, sighed in relief at her crazy best friend saving her... Again.

He saw Aella’s hand waving someone behind and turned to see Matt’s smirk drop, and his eyes widened almost comically. “And what Mystic Lia is that something?”

“I see... I see... I seeeee...” She was physically shaking, and Stefan couldn’t help but chuckle as the rest of his class laughed. “Nineteen hundred and thirty-two point one!” She collapsed onto her chair, breathing heavily, “Oh, that was a strong episode! I think I may have to go to the nurse, Mr. Tanner.”

The vein on Tanner’s forehead was now almost throbbing, a sure sign he was going to explode, “The only place you’ll be going Allena is Dete-”

“-There were 346 casualties,” Stefan interrupted Tanner, smirking when Aella looked over at him in shock. “Unless you’re counting local civilians.”

“Th-That’s correct.” Tanner looked shocked, so shocked he forgot about what happened and switched his attention to Stefan. “Mister...?”

“Salvatore,” He smiled, winking at Aella, who sniggered to herself.

“Salvatore,” Tanner’s brow raised. “Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?”

“Someone’s got a crush,” Aella muttered to herself, which Tanner heard and started glaring at Aella again.

“Distant,” Stefan confirmed, drawing attention back to him and away from Aella.

“Well, very good...” Tanner nodded until a smug smile turned to Stefan. “Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle.”

Stefan sat up, “Actually, there were 27, sir.”

Aella looked between the two wide-eyed like she was watching a ping pong match. Stefan had saved her ass and was now showing up Tanner.

“Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons,” Stefan began explaining calmly. The class became more and more interested in Tanner’s demeanor. “They were wrong. It was a night of great loss. The founder’s archives are, uh, stored in Civil Hall if you’d like to brush up on your facts, Mr. Tanner.” 

He smirked at his teacher, not missing Aella’s bright smile as she smacked her desk, “Burn!”

As the class sniggered at him, Tanner glared at his new-not-so-favorite, “Hmm.” 

The bell rang, and Aella, knowing Tanner’s evilness, quickly grabbed Stefan’s arm and pulled him out of the room into the corridor, slamming him into the lockers. She smiled up at him brightly as Stefan regained his composure at the small brunette’s strength.

She happily laughed out loud, “You! Are my new hero.” Pecking his check softly, she whispered in his ear, “I’ll see you tonight.” Before pulling back and skipping off down the corridor, leaving a very shocked Vampire standing there.

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

** **

Aella jumped down from the mossy hill. She had stumbled down, wondering how the hell the dumb party girls in their heels had gotten down to the woods party without breaking their necks.

“Aella!”

Speaking of.

“Caroline!” Aella turned, smiling at her blonde best friend. Her eyes couldn’t help but drift down towards Caroline’s feet, smirking when she saw her best friend was wearing the highest heels she owned. 

“Look how hot you look!” Caroline squealed, hugging Aella.

Aella frowned in her arms, “Thanks... I think?”

Caroline sniggered, and Aella looked up confused at her best friend’s giddiness, “Spin for me!” Caroline demanded, spinning Aella around.

Aella giggling during the spin, laughing as her white flowy top puffed out from the wind. She didn’t expect the second spin, which made her stumble into arms that definitely did not belong to Caroline.

“Are you okay?”

Aella looked up into the hypnotizing eyes of Stefan, “You are not Caroline!”

His lips quirked, “Surprised?”

“Happily!” Aella laughed, still in his arms.

She glanced down, enjoying the protective feeling of being in his arms. As if he was overstepping a line, Stefan pulled away, “Sorry.”

“It’s no problem,” Aella smiled, fixing her hair. She pointed at him with a false seriousness, “But don’t think me falling into your arms means anything! I am a lady you see,” she tutted playfully, fixing her top as she rose a brow at Stefan’s smile.

“So, what did you do to Tanner to make him dislike you so much?” Stefan asked her.

“Have you met me?” She threw back sarcastically, “Tanner hates anyone that he can’t scare. Plus, the stupid idiot can’t pronounce my name right!”

“I noticed that,” Stefan tried to hide his smirk, she noticed.

“It’s not funny!” She pouted at him, but due to his teasing smile, her pout quickly dissolved into a giggle, and she nodded in defeat, “Okay, it’s a little funny.”

“Aelena? Is that what he calls you?”

“Aelena, Aellala, Girl, You!” She counted off on her fingers.

“I like Aella,” Stefan grinned, which made her melt on the spot.

“I like Stefan, very masculine!” She then smirked and held her arms up, “Muscles!”

Stefan couldn’t help himself and quickly copied her while chuckling out loud, “Muscles!”

They both laughed together, ignoring the looks everyone was giving them.

“You know I’m not usually this free,” Stefan told her once their laughter had settled down, broad smiles remained on their faces. “I’m quite reserved, but you bring out a different side to me. How do you do that?”

Aella shrugged a faint reddish stain covering the apple of her cheeks, “I don’t know... I’m just myself, I discovered too late that life is so fragile.” She looked to the ground then up at Stefan biting her lip, “But I like that I can do that.”

“Me too,” His smile caught hers. “Do you want a drink?”

Aella nodded, she noticed Jeremy sat on his own under the wooden pavilion chugging back a beer. “Just water, please. I’m DD tonight.”

Stefan nodded, and Aella motioned to Jeremy, “I’m just gonna go play annoying adopted sister police.”

Stefan looked over his shoulder and stared at the moody teenager before turning back to Aella, nodding, “I’ll take my time finding that water.”

Aella spotted Elena by herself, walking their way, “Or you could have some company to lead the way. Elena!” Elena looked up at her name and joined the two, hugging Aella immediately. “E, do you mind showing Stefan where the water is while I speak to our very own Snoop Dogg?!”

Elena quickly glanced over her shoulder, guiltily, “I saw him but didn’t know if I should shout at him or leave him?”

“No need,” Aella shook her head. “Leave him to me, do you mind showing Stefan where the Aqua is?” She motioned to Stefan, who had moved closer to her so they could both look at Elena.

Elena smiled slyly, knowing this was her chance to interrogate Stefan without Aella there to butt in, “Absolutely!”

Stefan and Elena quickly grabbed some drinks for themselves and water for Aella. They walked to the bridge to wait for Aella to return.

“You know, you’re kind of the talk of the town,” Elena smiled, taking a sip of her drink.

Stefan’s brow raised, “Am I?”

“Mmm-hmm,” She nodded, laughing out loud. “Usually, it’s something Aella has said or done, but a new mysterious guy... doesn’t get better than that.”

Stefan smirked, “Compared with Aella, I feel proud.”

“You should be,” Elena laughed, he would quickly learn there weren't very many like Aella Bennett.

“She’s um...” Stefan bit his and worded carefully, “unique.” 

“Nicely put,” Elena smirked at him. “Aella is unique, but she’s also the best friend any person could have.”

“I can see that.”

“It’s such a cliché thing to say,” Elena shrugged, looking over the bridge. “It doesn’t feel like that statement gives her enough credit. She’s lost two sets of parents and can still smile every day.”

Stefan smiled sadly at her, “Aella mentioned your parents kinda adopted her.”

“More like she became their favorite child,” Elena smirked. “And Jeremy and I didn’t care. She wanted to hang with them as much as she could, the moments we took for granted. Cooking, gardening, shopping, cleaning, even stupid family games and movies; she did it all.” Elena looked up at Stefan, and he could see tears beginning to fill her eyes, “I didn’t realize why she would want to do all that until... until we lost them. Then we realized, any moment was precious. Aella learned that the hard way, and unfortunately, so did we. Anyway, you don’t want me to go on, it’s... it’s not exactly party chit-chat.”

“Well, I’ve never really been very good at, uh, chit-chat,” Stefan started then unconsciously smiled to himself, “Except when I’m with Aella, it’s so strange.”

Elena didn’t miss the smile and took a mental note at the moment, “Last spring... My parents' car drove off a bridge into the lake. And I was in the backseat, and I survived, but...they didn’t. So that’s it.”

“You won’t be sad forever, Elena. Especially with Aella around.”

Elena laughed out loud, taking a sip of her drink, “Exactly!”

.................................................

.................................................

Aella watched Elena lead Stefan away and headed over to Jeremy. He was just about to take another sip when Aella snuck the beer from his grasp, taking a sip.

“Hey-” he started demanding when he saw who now held his beer.

Aella smirked at him, taking another sip from the beer and handing it back to him. Just as his hand was about to grasp it, she let it go, both watching it fall to the ground and smashed to pieces.

She looked over at him, shocked, “I’m so sorry!” But Jeremy knew that emotion was as fake as Jenny Callow’s hair color.

“Like hell, you are!” He shoved her as the shocked look quickly turned into giggles.

Aella motioned with her head to the woods, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Jeremy stood up, looking forlornly at his beer and the full chest of beers before jogging over to the small brunette who wasn’t even waiting for him.

The duo started walking on the trail they both knew circled back to the party. Aella placed her arm in Jeremy's, missing the smile from the teenage boy at the gesture, “So... eyes don’t look so sore.”

Jeremy ignored Aella’s smug smile and laughed to himself, “Surprisingly, I didn’t feel like an extra kick tonight.”

“I’m proud of you!”

Jeremy shrugged off the praise looking down as a blush appeared on his face, “I think I’d be off the rails if you weren’t here Lia, you understand what I feel. Elena was in the car she feels completely different, but you were like me, we were just at home-”

“-and had that knock on the door,” Aella nodded sadly, remembering that moment as if it was yesterday. She would never forget that moment. “You’re right, I do know, but that doesn’t mean Elena isn’t feeling the same pain. Even Jenna. She lost her big sister, could you imagine losing Elena-

“-or you?”

Aella actually teared up and quickly jumped up and down, changing to silly Aella before he saw the tears, but he did.

“Ahhhhhh, Baby J, you do love me!” Aella grabbed him around the neck and pulled him down to her level as his arms reached round to her waist to steady himself, giving her a squeeze of comfort. Aella appreciated the extra hard hug he gave her as she just took in that comfort she gave him.

They just reached the halfway point, and we’re now walking arm in arm again when they heard rustling and voices.

When they heard the voices become more apparent and more recognizable, they stopped.

“_ No! I said, no! _”

Aella and Jeremy recognized the voice immediately as Vicki Donovan’s. They glanced at each other in shock before running in the direction they heard her to help.

.................................................

.................................................

Tyler finally had Vicki, where he wanted, away from everyone else, and against a tree alone.

He started kissing her neck, and Vicki laughed, obviously having as much fun as him until she ruined the mood completely, “No, Ty. I’m not having sex against a tree.”

Tyler ignored her, thinking she was just playing hard to get, “Oh, come on, it would be hot.”

“For who?” Vicki scowled and started pushing Tyler away, “No, it’s not going to happen.” But he wasn’t taking that for an answer and continued to force her harder into the tree, his hands reaching up to pull on her top.

“It’s not going to happen, not here, not like this,” Vicki told him, shaking her head. Tyler was now going too far, and the pain in her back was starting to burn as her voice overflowed with fear. “No. I said no. I said, no! Ow, that hurts!”

“Hey, leave her alone!”

Vicki sighed in relief at hearing Jeremy’s voice until she saw who was running behind him, Aella.

Tyler stepped back at his voice and turned to Jeremy, not seeing the brunette behind him, “You know you’re starting to get on my nerves, Gilbert!”

Aella stepped in front of Jeremy so quickly that Tyler didn’t notice until he was pushed back, and he saw the brunette’s angry face. “What about me, Ty? What if I want to start something?”

Tyler smirked, wiping the wetness from Vicki’s gloss off his lips, “I’m always willing to start something with you, Allie!”

Aella scowled, disappointed in her friend, “Ew! You know what you need to do is take your drunk little bitch ass home before I find Matt, and he can see what his best friend is doing to his sister.”

Tyler stepped forward, trying to intimidate Aella when Vicki stepped in his way, pushing him back, “Just go, Tyler. Get the hell away from me.”

“Wow.” Tyler laughed maliciously, looking between Vicky, Jeremy, and Aella, his voice cocky, but his body language shocked at the rejection. “Vicki Donovan says no. That’s a first.”

“Get the hell out of here, Tyler!” Aella scowled, pushing him away before he made any more stupid remarks.

Vicki looked at them, and Aella was surprisingly surprised when Vicki scowled at them, “I didn’t need your help!”

Aella scoffed as Jeremy smirked, “It seems like you did.”

“And if Matt found out that I did nothing...” Aella chimed in earring darker glare from Vicki. “And gives me that puppy dog look of hate, I would seriously just die! Look, Vick, Tyler’s not good enough for you.” She turned to Jeremy, “Get her some water, and find Matt.”

Aella shook her head at Vicki once more, this time in disgust, before pushing past the drug addict heading back to Stefan.

As Aella left the trail, she and Jeremy had walked she headed to where she could see Elena and Stefan chatting on the bridge.

“-and then, my parents died.” She heard Elena say to Stefan and wondered if she was barging in on a private conversation, “And everything changes.”

Elena saw Aella hesitantly walking over to them and waved her over, grinning brightly at her, “Until someone like Aella steps into your life and changes it for the better.”

Stefan looked over his shoulder and smiled dazzlingly at seeing Aella again, who he could already feel was approaching, filling him with happiness.

“Elena, you’re probably my best friend in the whole world now,” Aella laughed, pulling Elena into a strong side hug. “No pressure!”

Elena laughed, stepping back from Aella, looking over to the couple as Stefan seemed to be drawn to her best friend’s side like a magnet. “I better go see Matt, he’s been shooting looks my way all evening.”

Aella raised an eyebrow pursing her lips in annoyance, “Well, you better be quick because J and I just stopped Tyler almost forcing himself on Vicky. It got a bit tense.”

Stefan tensed up himself and turned to look at Aella, concerned, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Aella waved off. “Ty’s a wimp that wishes he could have a piece of this!” She smirked, but Stefan still didn’t relax, she turned to Elena, “I told J to get her water and take her to Matt so...”

Elena nodded understanding and walked to where their group of friends stood, not so subtlety spying on Aella and Stefan.

Stefan looked tense still, and Aella rubbed his arm in comfort, “Calm down, I’m fine. I can handle Tyler.”

Stefan nodded, calming at her touch, and handed out the red cup to her, “Your water.”

Aella smiled gratefully and took a huge sip, “Thank you, water right now is a godsend! I was so thirsty I swear I could have done a Bear Grylls and dug until I found water!”

Stefan smiled at her, bewildered, “Isn’t he the British guy that drinks his own pee?”

“Ew, really?” Aella grimaced, screwing her face up.

Stefan chuckled, nodding his head, “Really!”

“Damn!” She laughed with him, “I knew I should have watched more than one episode before I was sure I could handle being stranded in the Sahara!”

Stefan’s laughter continued and turned into a broad smile, “I like your laugh.”

Aella sobered and smiled just as wide, “I like your smile. Too many people haven’t smiled enough lately.”

“That’s usually me,” he shyly looked to the floor, opening up to her. “But you bring out this side of me that can’t stop.”

Aella tried to catch his eyes with hers, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Good,” Stefan looked up at her, feeling happy. “Definitely good.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds before both of them started to lean in; that’s when Aella noticed red lines slowly appearing under his eyes, “Hey, are you okay?”

Stefan brows drew inwards, and she noticed his eyes had turned even darker, almost black, “Your eyes-”

Stefan pulled away and looked away, clearing his throat, feeling very uncomfortable “-oh, um... Yeah, it’s nothing.” He then took Aella’s cup, balanced on the bridge, “Your drink is nearly empty, I’m gonna get us some more.”

He hastily walked off, leaving Aella alone as she stared after him. The way his eyes changed and the lines that quickly formed around them, sticking in her memory.

.................................................

.................................................

Aella stood at the bridge for a few minutes, trying to ignore that gnawing feeling of her magic pushing against her brain. It was like it wanted her to realize something.

Shaking her head, she slowly headed back to the pavilion, where she knew she could sit and wait for Stefa. Just as Aella reached the wooden structure, she noticed her best friend stumble out of the opposite exit and straight towards the very person Aella was waiting for.

Caroline had obviously taken the term, drink all you want, to heart and was indeed smashed. She reached Stefan and grasped his arm as Stefan smiled at her politely, holding her up, “I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Well, of course, _ you _ have!” Caroline exclaimed mistakingly. She lifted Stefan’s arm and span underneath it, “My Li Li Lia is the DD tonight, have you seen the falls?” She pouted at him, too drunk that this was the boy she intended to set her friend up with, “Me aI you could-”

“Caroline,” Stefan sighed. He was frustrated at what had happened with Aella and used that to push Caroline back with a little more force than he would ever like. “You and me will never happen, not in a million years. Sorry. So find someone else-”

“-Do yourself a favor and stop talking right now,” Aella scowled at Stefan, stepping between him and Caroline, holding her best friend up. “There’s only one person on this earth that can talk down to her like that, and you’re looking at her, and that’s only because she’s seen me naked and knows my worst secrets.”

She could feel Caroline pulling on her arm trying to stop her, but ignored as she looked at Stefan with disappointment, disregarding the apologetic sad puppy dog look he gave her and pulling at her heart. 

“No one speaks or acts like that to my best friend,” Aella pointed at him. “No matter how drunk she is, or how annoyed you are, and even when she turns into Judy-flirt-a-lot, she’s my person. And no one, not even the boy I really like gets away with that.”

She saw her cup of water in his hand and slammed her down, so the cup of water fell down onto the floor and onto, what she hoped, expensive boots. “Have a good evening, asshole!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	6. Hello, brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

Aella pulled Caroline away from Stefan, dragging her protesting best friend to one of the benches, laying her down. As if she’d used her magic, as soon as Caroline’s head settled on her lap, her eyes began to flutter shut. Aella reached out to the coolers and grabbed a bottle of unopened water when she saw her cousin approach her, “Hey, are you okay? I heard what went down.”

“I’m fine,” Aella muttered, then saw Bonnie’s look and rolled her eyes. “Okay. I’m not fine. But no one talks like that to any of you, ever! Men, ugh! They think they can be all Lah Dee dah and get away with it because they’re cute.”

“Lah Dee, what?” Bonnie frowned, thoroughly confused.

“Like in all the movies with Hugh Grant in,” Aella explained a little too casually. “You think he’s such a wet blanket, but man can he throw some lines - that’s Lah Dee dah!”

“Thanks for the lesson,” Bonnie frowned, still utterly confused but decided not to ask again. “Do you need help with, what did you call her? Judy-flirt-a-lot?” Bonnie laughed out loud at the reference, “I’d love to know how your brain works, cuz.”

“I don’t think you’d survive,” Aella smirked, rolling the cold bottle on Caroline’s forehead. “It’s a pretty awesome brain.”

“In a pretty awesome friend,” Bonnie smiled. “And cousin.”

“I try,” Aella grinned, shrugging one shoulder.

Bonnie held her hand out to Aella, “Give me the water and get yourself a drink, I’ll be DD tonight. You deserve it.”

Aella smiled appreciatively, though Bonnie could still see the sadness in her cousin’s eye, “I knew I loved you for some reason.”

Aella handed her the bottle when Bonnie gasped out loud, her face going pale and her eyes going wide.

“Bonnie?”

Bonnie's face returned to normal, she sighed heavily and breathed to herself, “Grams was right.”

Aella tilted her head, “What? Grams was right about what?”

Bonnie looked at her cousin sheepishly and stuttered, “She said I was... a... was a... wi-

Aella smirked, “She finally told you, huh?”

Bonnie looked at her in shock, “Wait! You knew?!”

“B! I’ve been telling her to reveal this secret to you for years!” Aella smiled happily, clapping her hands.

“Years!” Bonnie exclaimed, hitting her cousin’s arm, ignoring her ‘_ ow _.’ “You’ve known for years? Can... you?”

Aella smirked and lifted her finger as the bottle left Bonnie’s hand floating just a little above her hand, “You mean, can I do that?”

Bonnie grabbed the bottle from the air before anyone could see anything, “Oh my god! She was telling the truth! And that! That was amazing! Can you teach me?”

Aella laughed hugging her cousin, happy she could share this with her, “I will happily teach you, but our magic’s are a little different. I can explain tomorrow?”

“Yes! Anything!”

“Good,” Aella smiled brightly, her mood unmistakably lifted. “Now I’m going to get a drink. Are you okay with Judy?”

Bonnie nodded happily, thinking over the trick Aella had just shown her. Aella walked over to the beer chest when she saw Jeremy stumble into the party with a bleeding Vicki in his arms and Elena running behind him, shouting, help.

Aella ran over, pushing Tyler out the way so she could see the wound. When she saw the amount of blood, she knew from all the Grey’s Anatomy episodes she’d binged at the weekend, she had to put pressure on it, but the wound had to be free of debris.

Aella pushed Elena gently aside, “Elena, let me take a look.”

Elena was shaking as the tears ran down her face, “It looks like something bit her!”

Aella looked at the wound, frowning when she saw marks similar to teeth marks disguised hidden by the blood. Shaking her head and ignoring Matt’s pleas for someone to ring an ambulance, she quickly stripped off her black cardigan and held it tight on Vicki’s neck.

“Vicki? Open your eyes, Hun!” Aella called, tapping Vicki’s cheek. She looked at Elena to ask her about the ambulance when her eyes drew to Stefan staring at Vicki in horror and as if he was in... Aella frowned as the thought came over her, he looked like _ he _was in pain, not Vicki.

Once again, his eyes started changing, and instead of gawking like everybody else, he stumbled away.

Aella stared after him for a few moments before turning back to Vicki, increasing her pressure and trying to get Vicki to wake up as she heard the ambulance sirens in the distance.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Stefan entered his bedroom, breathing heavily, what the hell happened out there? What had bit Vicki? Or rather, who had bit Vicki? Just as he closed the door, Stefan recognized something wasn’t right and looked behind him to see his balcony doors were open.

A large black crow flew in, past Stefan’s ear, and landed on the wooden beams supporting the roof. Stefan stared at it before another uneasy feeling charged his body with dread. As he turned around, his eyes met the one person he didn’t want to see again.

“Damon.”

Damon smirked smugly, “Hello, brother.”

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

“Thanks, Lia,” Matt said, grateful for her help as he approached her. “You went to action when we were all shouting.”

Aella smiled and saluted to Matt, “Just call me, Cadet Bennett!”

Matt chortled a little as he watched Vicki get put in the ambulance and squeezed Aella’s hand in thanks before walking back to the ambulance and climbing into the truck’s back.

Aella rubbed her bare arms as the cold wind hit them when something fell on her shoulders, “Thought you may need this?” Jeremy smiled as he put his leather jacket back on.

“Thanks!” Aella exclaimed, putting her arms through the sleeves of the sweatshirt. “Although, had you not offered and I would have seen you had two jackets on, I so would have pushed you to the floor to steal one.”

“Well, I’m glad I offered,” Jeremy chuckled, but his eyes were on the ambulance lights as it drove away.

“Me too,” she smiled, holding the warm jacket closer to her body. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” he shrugged, kicking the dirt with his shoe. “Happy that she’s not dead and just eager to find out more information.”

“Yeah,” Aella bit her lips, so was she. “Matt said he’d text as soon as there was news.”

“Cool.”

“But why wait in the cold when I can drive us home and make us a mean Hot Chocolate?” Aella smirked, nudging her body into his until he smiled at her.

“Okay,” he smiled instantly, He pointed at her with his brow raised, “But, there have to be marshmallows!”

“You mock me, sir!” Aella’s gasped, holding her hand covered by the slightly long-sleeved, to her heart, “As if! I, Aella Bennett, would offer it without!”

Jeremy laughed, and Aella was happy she got his mind onto something else for the moment. “I’m just gonna say goodbye to Bonnie,” she held her car keys out to him. “Car parked on the left side near the path.”

Jeremy nodded, seizing the keys, and made the trek to her car as she walked over to Bonnie, Elena, and a still passed out Caroline.

“Baby J is in my car, ready to go home. Are you okay with Judy?” She asked Bonnie.

Smirking at the name, Bonnie nodded, “Yeah, I’m gonna take her to the Grill for her to sober up.”

“Thank you!” Aella grinned, hugging Bonnie tight as she whispered in her ear, “We still in for tomorrow?

Bonnie squeezed her back, “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried!”

Aella kissed her cousin’s cheek before pulling away and turning to Elena, “Need a ride?”

“Please,” Elena nodded, gratefully staring down at her blood-covered hands.

“C’mon Buffy! Let’s get your savior ass home! I’m making Hot Chocolate,” Aella smiled, putting her arm around Elena’s shoulder.

“Buffy?” Elena laughed, making Aella pout. “She’s the first female hero I could think of!”

“Well, I mean Vicki did get bitten by something, so we could just pretend it was a vampire,” Elena shrugged as they walked up the dirt hill. “Just as long as it’s a good one like Angel and not Spike!”

“What!?” Aella laughed out in outrage as they reached her red car. “Angel was Angelus and was like the worst foe Buffy went up against! At least Spike loved her, even without a soul!”

Elena walked to the back door behind Jeremy, seeing as he was sitting in the front, “But Angel and Angelus were pretty hot! Right?”

Aella scoffed, opening the driver’s door, “As if that should have been a question!” She sat in the driver’s seat and put on her seatbelt before turning back to Elena, ignoring Jeremy’s confused face. “David Boreanaz will always be the best damn looking vampire in Buffy and will always be her one true love!”

“True dat sista,” Elena laughed high-fiving Aella.

Aella turned the car engine on and put the car into drive as Jeremy asked what the two were talking about.

“We were just discussing Vicki’s wound, which went to Buffy for some reason,” Elena explained, becoming more confused as she told him.

“Because of the bite mark on her neck, right? Jeremy asked with curiosity. “I could have sworn it looked like a human bite mark.”

Aella stopped the car abruptly at his words, “You saw it too?”

“Yeah,” He nodded, swallowing nervously at the look Aella had in her face.

She turned to Elena again, “What about you? Did you see it?”

“Yeah,” Elena nodded, biting her lip, feeling slightly less giddy than she was a minute ago.

Aella stared at the antique ring on her hand resting in the wheel, turning it around her middle finger as random words flew through her mind:

Bite mark.

Neck.

Buffy.

Vampire.

Eyes changing.

Guilt.

Guilt.

Hunger!

While that last word resonated within her mind, Aella put her foot on the accelerator as the car’s mood dropped. It was a quiet journey home, and Aella only had one thing she needed to do; she needed to get out Jonathan Gilbert’s Journal.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

“Crow’s a bit much, don’t you think?” Stefan quipped as the crow now squawked from the balcony fence.

Damon was in Stefan’s room and touching everything he could get his hands on, he thought of the smoke he created in the woods, “Wait till you see what I can do with the fog.”

Stefan’s brow raised, “When’d you get here?”

“Well, I couldn’t miss your first day at school,” Damon replied sarcastically as he looked Stefan up and down. “Your hair’s different. I like it.”

Stefan sighed wearily, “It’s been 15 years, Damon.”

“Thank God!” Damon exclaimed, scowling at the thought of that time. “I couldn’t take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you. Remember, Stefan-” he pointed at his brother “-it’s important to stay away from fads.”

“Why are you here?” Stefan demanded, and Damon pouted at him, “I miss my little brother.”

“You hate small towns,” Stefan frowned. He had to get Damon away from Mystic Falls sooner rather than later. He needed to keep his brother away from Aella, at any cost. “It’s boring. There’s nothing for you to do.”

“I’ve managed to keep myself busy,” Damon smirked, and Stefan knew then and there that it was Damon in the woods.

“You know...” Stefan shook his head in disappointment. “You left that girl alive tonight. That’s very clumsy of you.”

“Ah.” Damon smiled guiltily, but Stefan knew it was fake. “That can be a problem... for you.”

“Why are you here now?” Stefan demanded again.

“I could ask you the same question,” Damon stated, no longer joking. “However, I’m fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word... Aella.” Damon’s eyes broadened, “She is a firecracker!”

Damon walked over to Stefan’s personal library, knowing that the longer he rambled on, the more annoyed Stefan would be getting. “I was confused at first because Elena, was it? She took my breath away. She’s a dead ringer for Katherine. And then I see you toss her aside for Smiley Pixie! Is it working, Stefan? Falling for someone else?”

“Elena is not Katherine,” Stefan stated, not giving Damon anything. “And stay away from Aella.”

Damon ignored him, “Well, let’s hope she’s not. We both know it’s been a while since you dated, don’t want to be seen as hooked on her lookalike friend.” Damon walked closer to his younger brother, his smile getting more devilish the closer he got. “Tell me something, when’s the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?

Stefan sighed in frustration turning away from Damon, “I know what you’re doing, Damon. It’s not gonna work.”

“Yeah?” Damon pulled his brother back to face him, forcefully, “Come on. Don’t you crave a little? Don’t you want to feel stronger for Aella?”

“Stop it!”

Damon pushed at Stefan’s shoulder, wanting a reaction, “Let’s do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there.” He pushed Stefan again, “Or just, let’s just cut to the chase, let’s just go straight for Aella. All that spunk!”

“Stop it!” Stefan pleaded, feeling the rage inside him start to bubble.

Damon got up close to Stefan, “Imagine what her blood tastes like?!” He saw his brother's face changing and pushed that last button, “I can. I will!”

“**I said, stop!**” Stefan growled as his face morphed and then flew himself and Damon out of the glass window, falling heavily onto the driveway.

Shaking the glass of his back, Stefan groaned, realizing Damon wasn’t underneath him or anywhere near him.

“I was impressed,” Damon said, and Stefan looked over to his right to see Damon casually leaning against the fence. I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole-” Damon pathetically growled, pretended his hand was like a claw, “-face thing. It was good.”

Damon chuckled out loud as Stefan scowled at him, “You know, it’s all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die.”

“That’s a given,” Damon shrugged carelessly.

“Not here,” Stefan declared, shaking his head. “I won’t allow it.”

Damon was slightly speechless, impressed for a second, “I take that as an invitation.”

“Damon, please,” Stefan pleaded, thinking of Aella, thinking of similar moments in the past. “After all these years, can’t we just give it a rest?”

Damon tutted at Stefan, smirking, “I promised you an eternity of misery, so I’m just keeping my word. Now I may have let you off with Elena, but you really like this Aella, don’t you? And that, brother makes this even better!”

“Just stay away from Aella, please,” Stefan begged. “Stay away from her and all of her friends.”

Damon then looked down and gasped dramatically, “Where’s your ring?”

Stefan looked down and saw his finger ringless as Damon sucked the air in through his teeth, “Oh, yeah. The sun’s coming up in a couple of hours, and, poof, ashes to ashes.”

Stefan gulped nervously at what his brother could do next when Damon smiled, producing the ring in his hand. He held it out to Stefan, “Relax. It’s right here.”

Stefan swallowed heavily, looking down at his ring. He wondered if this was a trick. He hesitantly reached out and took the ring, placing it back on his middle finger.

That’s when Damon’s face morphed, grabbing Stefan by the throat and throwing him against the garage. Stefan bounced off the door and landed heavily on the floor, rolling towards Damon’s feet.

“You should know better than to think you’re stronger than me,” Damon glared down at Stefan. “You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn’t try it again.”

He heard Zach moving around the house and knew he had awoken his nephew, “I think we woke Zach up?”

He looked back down at Stefan, “Tell Aella I’m dying to meet her!” He started to walk back to the house, and sarcastically shouted, “**Sorry, Zach.**”

Stefan watched his brother walk away before letting his body fall entirely to the floor. He closed his eyes in panic at the thought of Damon anywhere near Aella, and she wanted him nowhere near her so he could protect her.

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

As soon as the milk was heating up on the stove with Jeremy stirring, as Elena and Jenna got the marshmallows and cups ready, Aella ran up the stairs as quickly as she could run into her room. 

Diving onto the floor and pulling the cardboard box from under it, Aella desperately tore the tape off and opened it. She sorted through all the documents and books until she found the one she was looking for.

She hastily opened the book and flipped through the pages until Aella reached one she knew all too well, the one she had almost memorized word for word in fascination. But first, she needed to verify, she needed to think this through properly. Her fingers skimmed the words on the aged pages, still admiring the beautiful strokes of Jonathan Gilbert. As her finger fell off the last page, she knew her suspicions had been right.

“**Aella! Milk’s done!**”

At Jeremy’s call, Aella scrambled to put everything back to its former place before taking a deep breath and walking back down to the kitchen.

“Smells yummy!” She said, forcing a smile on her face. “Now, you guys out so I can add my secret ingredient!” She shooed them all out. “Just sit down, and I’ll bring them out.”

When she was sure they were all sat down, and no one was watching, hoping to see Aella’s secret ingredient, she tiptoed over to the spice cupboard. Pulling out the containers of Cinnamon and Vanilla Essence, she sprinkled a teaspoon of each ingredient before stirring the mixture. She added four marshmallows to the cups before pouring in the hot chocolate liquid and topping the cups with a handful of marshmallows in each. 

Quickly putting the cups on a tray, Aella walked into the sitting room smiling at the sight of Jeremy sitting between Jenna and Elena, staring at a picture of Grayson and Miranda. “Who’s ready for some Hot Chocolate?”

She placed the tray on the table, actively ignoring the three as they quickly wiped their tears.

“There’s only three?” Jenna questioned, laughing as Elena and Jeremy took sips moaning out loud as the hot drink touched their tongues.

“I have to quickly see a friend,” Aella smiled, walking back to the entrance hall and grabbing her long grey cardigan, putting it on.

“You know you can talk to me about anything, right?” Jenna questioned, appearing at the lounge doorway, her tone concerned. “I may not be your Aunt by blood, but I adopted you too, you know!”

Aella smiled radiantly at Jenna’s words and moved forward to hug her. Jenna squeezed back, kissing the top of Aella’s head, “Does this mean I can watch Full House again?”

Jenna laughed, pushing Aella to the door, “No way am I going against Caroline and her contract, even if you were blood!”

Aella laughed, stepping away and opening the door, keys in hand, “I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t try!”

“Don’t ever change Aella Bennett,” Jenna smiled, watching to make sure Aella got in her car and drove away with no issues.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Aella sped through Mystic Falls with only one destination in mind. She’d only been there on her own once before, but as Stefan said the previous night, it was a small town.

Pulling up to the destination Aella forced her body out of the car to the large looming wooden door. She knocked and hoped to God no one would answer, but her wish was not granted as the door opened to reveal the one person she wanted, yet didn’t want to see standing there, confused why she was there.

Aella held up her hand to cut Stefan off from whatever he was going to say, “Before you say anything, I need to apologize to you for earlier tonight.” She quirked her lip in apology, “I had no right to go off at you like that, even if I was protecting someone. Because things like friendship and trust are essential to me... so important I’m only giving you one chance to tell me the truth. If, even for a second, I see you’re lying, whatever is going on between us is over.”

She looked directly into Stefan’s eyes for the first time and swallowed wearily, “So, Stefan Salvatore... Are you a vampire?”

Stefan stared at Aella in shock for several reasons, 1) she was at his home. 2) she had shouted at him and had now apologized. 3) After just two days of knowing her, she had worked out his biggest secret and was now asking if it was true.

Stefan took a deep breath. Even if she hadn’t said all the things about trust and him lying to her, he still would have given her the same answer to her question as she fidgeted on his doorstep eyes filling up with tears. “Yes,” Stefan shakily nodded. “I’m a vampire.”

Aella stared at him for a second before nodding her head gently, breathing out in shock, “Okay, that’s good to know...” She held her finger up to him as she took it all in, “I’m just going to-” and without warning, her eyes rolled back. She fell backward, unconscious, but luckily for her, Stefan’s Vampire allowed him to catch her before hitting the hard ground.

“Not the reaction I hoped for,” Stefan muttered, smiling as he lifted Aella up and brushing the loose brown hair strands from her face. “But then you wouldn’t be the crazy sarcastic girl I’ve already fallen for in only two days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	7. Can I imagine bashing in his head?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Stefan paced in front of his bed, turning to Aella whenever she moved or made a slight noise. As soon as she had fainted, he caught her, running her up to his bedroom and placing her on the bed.

She had been lying there for twenty minutes, and Stefan was now starting to worry. Until he heard a low moan and saw more movement from Aella as she woke up, finally.

“Hmm...” Aella groaned screwing her face up, she could have sworn Stefan confessed he was a-

Aella shot up, eyes wide, as she remembered what the hell had just happened. When her eyes focused, she could see Stefan standing at the foot of the bed; face full of worry as he twisted his lip.

She shuffled back, pulling her knees up to her chest and folding her arms on top. She shook her in disbelief, “Holy, San Francisco, Tannerinos!” 

Stefan coughed out a laugh, before holding his hand out to the bed, “Do you mind if?-”

Aella looked down at the bed and quickly nodded, patting the spot next to her, “Sure, just um... no biting?”

Stefan laughed, sitting in the exact spot she patted, “Don’t worry, I hunt animals.”

Aella blushed a little, then looked horrified, “God! That’s like you have to drink My Little Pony.”

Stefan chuckled when she smirked at him and took a deep breath as he began to explain, “I used to drink human blood but decided to drink only animal blood after a bad few years.”

“Okay,” Aella smiled gently, accepting that. “As long as you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Stefan smiled at her. “But then again, I’m always okay with you around.”

Aella chuckled through a smile, “Smooth, Mr. Salvatore.”

They both smiled at each other before Stefan looked to Aella’s hand, where a familiar ring rested. He reached out slowly to take it in his, Aella let him, smiling a little wider. Stefan’s thumb floated over the ring, knowing that somehow he would react if he touched it and looked up into Aella’s bright green eyes. “Now, I told you my biggest secret, what’s yours?”

Instead of frowning like he thought she may, Aella smiled brighter, which Stefan didn’t know was possible. Aella squeezed Stefan’s hand before pulling back, she reached over to his side table and placed the book on his bed between their knees. She turned her hand, palm up, and wiggled her fingers for effect, and then, the book started to rise between the two.

Stefan laughed, amazed at what she could do so smoothly, and the fact she showed him without an argument. Stefan held his hand out to take the book and looked to Aella for permission, she nodded giggling, “Go ahead.”

Stefan closed his hand around the book, feeling the force of the magic holding it. When he grabbed it, that force quickly dissipated, and the weight of the book returned.

“I’m a witch,” Aella revealed.

“Descendent of Emily Bennett,” Stefan nodded, still twisting the book around, almost in awe.

“How did you know?” She asked, eyes wide.

Stefan blushed slightly, “I knew her very well before I became a vampire.”

Aella frowned, twisting her ring, “But that would mean you’re over... 150-years-old?” She looked back at Stefan, “Right?”

“163 actually,” He blushed, shrugging.

“Stefan?” Aella asked cautiously, which worried him. “Yeah?”

Aella screwed her face up, “You’re really old.”

Stefan stared at her for a second before laughing aloud in disbelief, but Aella wasn’t done. “Like, really, _ really _old!”

Stefan tried to stifle his laughter, “Have you finished yet?”

Aella cheekily grinned before nodding her head in defeat, “So you knew Emily?”

Stefan nodded sighing heavily, he knew where this conversation was heading, “She was the maid and friend of Katherine Pierce.”

Aella could hear the distaste in his voice and raised her brows, “Was Katherine a bitch?”

Stefan, trying not to smirk at her choice of words, nodded, “Katherine Pierce is the one who changed me into a vampire.”

“Oh!” Aella winced, lips pursed a little in shock. “Wow, so major bitch then?”

“Pretty much,” Stefan agreed. “She stayed at our house in 1864 with my Father, myself, and my brother. Very quickly, she had us all in the palm of her hands.”

“And Emily?”

“Emily was her friend,” Stefan explained. “But due to her ethnicity, she acted as Katherine’s maid.”

Aella could see he was having some difficulty speaking of Katherine and the time he changed into a vampire. She would have been deaf and blind not to hear or see Stefan’s tension as he spoke of her and his brother.

“Okay,” She clapped, changing her position on the bed very quickly, moving closer to Stefan and now sitting on her legs. “New game, you ask questions about my witchy everything, and I ask questions about your past, deal?”

Stefan looked hesitant, and Aella quickly added, “Any questions that are uncomfortable you can skip, I promise.”

“Deal,” Stefan agreed. “But I go first.”

She scowled at him but nodded, muttering to herself, “I knew I should have added me going first.”

Stefan pretended to ignore her and tapped his chin, thinking what could be the first thing he could ask, “What kind of witch are you?”

“An Elemental Witch and a Traditional Witch,” Aella smiled and, seeing his confusion, explained. “My Traditional Magic comes from my Father; it’s the same as what Emily was. My Mother was an Elemental Witch; it means I can control any of the Elements, but I have to master them separately before I can use them fluently.”

Stefan nodded in recognition, “So Fire, Air-”

“Ah, ah, Mr. Salvatore,” Aella wagged her finger in his face, interrupting him. “One question at a time. Now, where were we? Oh! My turn.” She smiled evilly as Stefan held his hands up in surrender. “What was Emily Bennett like?”

And that’s how the questions went, they talked for almost an hour, learning everything about each other. Aella’s powers, Stefan’s Father, Aella’s parents, how Mystic Falls had changed, how she practiced, and what 1864 was like to live in. Stefan noticed fairly quickly how Aella stayed clear of his brother and his relationship with Katherine, obviously seeing how that was a sore subject.

They both didn’t realize that after each question, they became closer and closer until their faces were inches from each other. Stefan gently stroked the apple of Aella’s right cheek. It was Aella’s question now, her breath shaking as she licked her bottom lip, noticing Stefan watching the motion intently. “And do you have anyone important in your life? Friend, girlfriend, wife?”

“No,” he whispered, barely shaking his head. “And do you have a boyfriend enamored by you as much as I am?”

Aella didn’t answer as she watched his lips form the words, but shook her head negatively at the question. Her eyes fluttered, but she refused to allow them to close. The show was too good: Stefan’s eyes were staring into her own as he moved in, lashes brushing against his cheeks. As Aella felt his breath ghost across her lips, her eyes finally shut just as his soft lips met her own. 

A spark ran through them both at the gentle pressure of his full lips as his left hand squeezed her hip, while the right came up to tuck itself into her loose hair, gently cradling her neck.

He kept the kiss chaste, but it still ignited a fire in Aella’s belly and a tingle down to her toes. He pulled away before quickly stealing another kiss. His forehead came down to rest on her own, and their eyes connected; they were soft and happy; a shade darker than they were only moments ago.

“Have mercy,” Stefan muttered ala Uncle Jesse. Aella pulled in surprise before smiling brightly, pushing Stefan flat on the bed and falling down on top of him to kiss him again. Only for a lot longer.

Ten minutes later, Zach barged into Stefan’s room, “What is Damon doing here? Why did he come...” Aella and Stefan broke apart quickly and stood up from the bed as Zach stood at the door in shock, “...home? Aella?” 

“Hi Zach,” Aella waved, smiling guiltily at him.

Stefan turned to Aella, brow raised, “You know Zach?”

“Yeah, small town,” Aella nodded quickly, forgetting that Stefan could hear her heart skip a beat when she lied or wasn’t completely honest. Stefan simply stared at her, and she broke, “Damn you and your vampire hearing,” she sighed in frustration stamping her foot. She missed Zach’s shocked look at her choice of words, “Zach gives me Vervain for my ring and family.”

Stefan nodded in realization. They both missed Zach stuttering in confusion about how easily the two talked about things they shouldn’t be talking about. 

“My nephew provides you with Vervain?” Stefan motioned to Zach.

Aella’s eyes opened wide in shock, “You’re Zach’s uncle?!”

Stefan chuckled, scratching his eyebrow, “Actually, Great Great Great Uncle.”

“Adding a few Great’s,” Aella smirked, and they chuckled out loud.

“Um, excuse me!” Zach called out, halting their conversation. “Vampire? Vervain? Something you want to tell me?”

“Oh, you know me, Zach,” Aella waved off Zach. “I’m a nosy bitch, I would have worked it out sooner if Stefan wasn’t so dashing.”

“You think I’m dashing?” Stefan smirked, and Aella gave him a sideways glare.

“Okay,” Zach nodded, still a little bewildered. “So, Damon?”

Stefan looked uncomfortable at the mention and did a quick glance to Aella, which she was able to catch, clearing her throat. She stepped forward, turning sideways to look at both Stefan and Zach. “I’m just going to go to the bathroom,” she hesitantly pointed and walked out the door.

Zach went to open his mouth to question Stefan more when his Uncle held up his finger to wait as he smirked with amusement. A second later, Aella walked back into the room, with a slight blush to her tanned face. “And the bathroom is?”

“Second door to the right,” Stefan pointed. Aella nodded sheepishly and slowly walked backward, closing the door with her.

“Why is Damon here?” Zach asked instantly.

“Cause I came home,” Stefan shrugged. “He wants to make my life miserable. That’s how he enjoys his.”

“Well, he’s putting us all at risk,” Zach pointed out. “This girl in the hospital could talk.”

“She won’t. I’ll take care of her,” Stefan promised.

“Is she worth it? Uncle Stefan,” Zach motioned to the door Aella had just exited.

Stefan turned away from Zach to hide his frustration at that question. But then he thought of the past few days, and how much he had smiled with Aella in his life, looking back to Zach, he smiled. “Yes, she is.”

And Zach couldn’t hold back his own smile at the happiness that emitted from him. He never believed in a million years his Uncle would fall for Aella Bennett.

..............................................

..............................................

Aella washed her face free from that gunk called makeup and the signs of sleep calling her name. She rewashed her hands to allow Zach and Stefan time to talk before she heard feet stepping past the bathroom door.

Walking back into Stefan’s room, he had his back to her, and she could finally take the time to admire his bedroom. Now, she knew precisely how old Stefan was; she could appreciate the history of everything in the room. Unlike every other hipster collector, Stefan had actually collected most things throughout his long life. 

Stefan turned to look at her, and she stood still waving her arms back and forward, trying not to ask about who Damon was and what he Zach were talking about. “So... what happened to the window?” 

Stefan looked to the window now covered with a flattened cardboard box, he frowned at the DIY fix, “Damon and I...”

“Damnit!” Aella frowned, stepping closer to Stefan, “I only chose the damn window so you wouldn’t have to talk about Dick Head!”

“Dick Head?” Stefan questioned in amusement at her choice of words.

“Yeah,” She nodded, stepping closer to Stefan and wrapping her arms around his neck and rising up on her toes. 

“Dick Head,” she kissed his smirking lips once pulling back as he wrapped his arms around her waist using his strength to help her reach the distance without straining. “Anyone who can make you this upset is a Dick Head in my book.” She kissed him again. She pulled back and pecked his lips once more before she leaned back, and Stefan placed her gently on the floor.

“Damon is my brother,” Stefan sighed, his arms still wrapped around Aella.

“Whoa!”

“Yeah,” he nodded guiltily. Aella pulled back, leading Stefan over to the brown leather couch, both sitting down and facing each other.

“Damon was also turned by Katherine,” Stefan confessed. “But it was me that forced him to become a vampire,” Aella said nothing, only nodded knowing the process of becoming a vampire. “We both loved Katherine, but Damon was obsessed with her. When she was burnt with the other vampires, Damon didn’t want to live on, and I made him.”

“So..?” Aella pressed, noticing he was keeping something back.

“And he promised me a lifetime of misery,” Stefan explained. “And he arrived back in town a few days ago, making his presence known.”

Aella frowned, taking in his words until she realized Stefan’s scared face at the party. Yes, it was hunger, but it was also fear, but that would mean if he didn’t bite Vicki, and he was scared of who did... “Did Damon bite Vicki?”

Stefan nodded sadness, filling his eyes. “Okay...” Aella nodded hesitantly. 

Something then clicked in her head, and suddenly she leaned forward eyes wide, “You know the Walking Dead?” She didn’t wait for Stefan to confirm, but he did nod, a confused nod, “Amazing show, but I don’t want them to grieve or question. I just want them to kill the zombies! Bash their heads in! Kill them! You get me?”

“Yes,” Stefan nodded but then shook his head, very confused. “No.”

“Damon is a Dick Head,” Aella simplified, becoming very irritated. “Now, I want to kill him. Damon is now the Walking Dead, literally, and I want to bash his head in!”

“Okay,” Stefan laughed, holding both her hands in his. “Yes, he is the walking dead, but you are not bashing his head in.”

Aella pouted, “Can I imagine bashing in his head?”

Stefan laughed, pulling her into his arms, “As soon as you know what he looks like, you can imagine it.”

“Good,” She still pouted, snuggling deeper into his arms yawning.

“C’mon,” Stefan shook her a little before she fell asleep, kissing her head. “I’ll drive you and your car home.” He picked her up from the couch, loving how easily she snuggled deeper into his arms, “You’re just about my favorite person in the world, I’d have to say.”

“That was fast,” she teased, eyes closed. Aella knew she was blushing again, but he didn’t seem to care. 

“No,” he happily confessed, “I’ve just been looking for you for a long time, and you made it so simple to do.”

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**   
  


The next morning Aella didn’t want to wake up, she didn’t want to go to school, and she didn’t want to go to History class. Rubbing her eyes free from sleep, she pulled the top knot from her hair, massaging away her scalp’s aches. Squinting from the light shining in her room, Aella groaned when she realized she had forgotten to close her blinds again, she reached over to her side table for her phone. 

As soon as Aella’s bright green eyes read the name on the screen of her phone, an unconscious smile started making its way across her face.

**From Stefan: Are you awake?**

Thinking back to the previous night: the bonfire, Vicki, revelations, kisses, secrets revealed, and more kisses. Aella wondered how the hell she survived that night, she had not only shown her magic to her cousin but a guy she had only known for a few days. A guy that was also a 165-year-old vampire - with an insane biting brother. 

“Am I the new Buffy?” Aella questioned herself. “Or am I Willow?”

**To Stefan: Yes :)**

Only seconds later did a new message ping on arrival.

**From Stefan: I thought, after a good night’s sleep, we could talk some more today? And I’d like to show you something.**

**To Stefan: I’d love to :)**

“Do vampires sleep?” Aella wondered out loud to herself after reading Stefan’s message.

Immediately she opened Safari and typed the question, ‘Do vampires sleep?’

At the answer, she frowned at the screen, “Sunlight will kill a vampire, but only after three or four hours of exposure. Many vampires prefer to sleep in coffins by day, though they don-”

“_-I wouldn’t believe anything, Google says.” _

Aella screeched, falling out the bed with her cell phone landing on her face. “Oh my Atlanta,” she winced, picking up the evil device and throwing it back on her bed. “Cell phones hurt.”

“**Aella, are you okay**?” Shouted Jenna’s voice.

“**Yup!**” The brunette shouted back, still laying spread eagle on the wooden floor.

“I’m _sorry. _” 

Remembering why she squealed like a teen girl in a horror movie, Aella sat up, turning to the window. Hair and only the top half of her face visible, she used her bed as camouflage to confirm it was Stefan, and he was now sitting on her window frame. 

Her second story window frame.

“Stefan!” She exclaimed, standing up quickly and smoothing down her creased pajamas. “You were at your house-” she pointed to the phone, “-and now you’re here-” she pointed at him, “-and now I’m flummoxed.”

Stefan tried to hide his smile at her being flustered and pointed into her room, “Do you mind?”

“Do I mind what?” Aella responded, forgetting about vampire customs, mind not totally awake yet.

Stefan tried not to be so awkward, as he balanced on the window frame, hoping no one could see him. “Not usually a sight to behold, a human teenage boy, standing on a two-story window ledge.”

“Duh!” Aella smacked her forehead and walked over to him. “My brain is SO Kimmy Gibbler first thing in the morning.” She motioned him into her room, “Please come in, Mr. Salvatore.”

With a chuckle, he jumped into the room. He quickly made an analysis of the room, concluding that this was definitely the unique and quirky room that could only belong to Aella Bennett. Half of her bedroom painted with chalkboard paint; doodles, notes, quotes, caricatures, thoughts, trinkets, and photos donned the wall. While the other half housed a reading corner, a comfy chair sat in front of a bookcase, with blankets tossed over it and a side table for drinks. 

This was only a small piece of Aella, and Stefan was eager to learn more. 

“How are you feeling today?” He asked, turning to face her, trying to ignore how nice her legs looked in her short shorts.

Aella snorted, moving over to her bed and tidying the covers. She smiled gratefully when Stefan started to help her, “You mean to learn the guy I like is a vampire? Actually, not that bad!”

It was comments like that, which made Stefan smile happily at her openness. At the same time, Aella wanted to physically hit herself at her frankness.

“So how do you feel about skipping school? I can tell you a bit more about my past before you make any decisions,” Stefan suggested.

“Decisions?” Aella frowned, walking around the bed to face him. 

Taking one of her hands, smiling to himself when he felt that jolt of electricity at their touch again, he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb as he looked into her eyes. “There are things regarding my past you need to know, things that determine if you would like to continue being friends with me, or…”

“-or more,” Aella smiled, taking hold of his free hand with hers, giving both hands a quick squeeze. 

“Or more,” Stefan grinned softly at her, replicating her squeeze on her hands. 

Aella pulled a face, looking down at her bedclothes, “Well, unless this place you want to take me to is pajama friendly, I better change.”

Stefan chuckled and lightly nodded, “I’ll meet you down at your car?”

“Speaking of cars,” She frowned. “Do you own a car?”

Stefan smirked, “Why own a car when you can run fast everywhere?” And before Aella could say anything, she felt a light kiss on her face, and Stefan was suddenly gone. 

“Oh my Lanta,” Aella sighed blissfully. She touched the spot Stefan had just kissed and watched the lace curtains blowing slightly from his departure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	8. ...the Barbara Walters is coming out of me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS** ****

“So... what did you tell your friends?” Stefan asked Aella as she drove them to the destination he was directing them to. 

Aella chuckled to herself, eyes on the road, “After lifetime years of friendship, we’ve concluded that no questions will be asked. In the evening, we’ll have a sleepover, usually at Caroline’s, or a group call and spill the details.” She quickly looked over at Stefan, eyes panicked, “But whatever you tell me, goes nowhere, I’ll either tell a small lie to the girls or distract them by quoting Full House and making Caroline mad.”

Stefan chuckled, not thinking for a moment she would tell anyone what they shared the previous night, “You really like Full House? No, joke?”

“No joke at all, Mr. Salvatore,” Aella nodded firmly, the most serious Stefan had seen her. She smiled softly, remembering the bad nights when that show would be there to cheer her up. “When my parents died, I had trouble sleeping, Full House was there for me on Nick Nite and made me smile when I had nothing to smile about.”

Stefan wished he could remember the pain of losing his mother to share his feelings with Aella, but it had been so long. Yet his father’s death still plagued him all these years later. 

“What were their names?” Stefan asked.

“Natasha and Calvin,” Aella smiled sadly. It had been a long time since she had said those two names together. “Best Mom and Dad in the world, the most caring doctors and such awesome witches! Well, warlock and witch.”

Stefan raised his brows, “I’ve never known someone born to two magical parents.”

“Mmhm,” Aella nodded over at him, turning right, as he pointed down a lonely road. “Dad was the only second ever male Bennett warlock, and Mom was an umpteenth generational witch.”

Stefan nodded, remembering what she had called herself the previous night. “You called yourself an Elemental Witch and Traditional Witch, I know of Traditional, like Emily, but I wasn't aware of Elemental witches?”

She nodded in understanding, lips pursed as to how to word what she knew, “My Mom’s coven is very different from the Bennett Coven. Only those of the Samphire line, my Mom’s family coven, know the true ins and outs of our magic and when it originated from.” Aella shrugged in annoyance, “Even I won’t know anything other than the basic training that Grams gives me until I turn 21.”

“21?” Stefan asked, he never knew of a coven having an age limit. To be honest, he’d never even heard of the Samphire coven before.

“Yeah, 21,” Aella said disgruntled. “My uncle Nathan, my Mom’s brother, told my Grams to teach me as a Traditional witch, and when I turn 21, he can start training me as a Samphire witch.”

“So, your uncle is a warlock?” Stefan summarised.

“Yup,” Aella nodded. “But as my Mom was the oldest, she became head of our coven once my Grandfather died. When I turn 21, because of my Mom’s death, I become in charge of the coven.”

Stefan’s eyes widened as he asked in surprise, “You?” He tried to stop his voice going slightly high, but it was impossible and caused Aella to burst out laughing.

“You know that was my Grams exact reaction,” Aella giggled, not at all offended. She then cleared her throat to sound like her grandmother, “My granddaughter can hardly sound serious to a five-year-old, and you’re trusting her to run your coven!?”

Stefan laughed with her until he saw the spot he wanted to show Aella, “Stop here.”

Aella pointed to the free space on the empty road and at Stefan’s nod pulled in, turning the car off and looking at him, “So, what are we doing here?”

Stefan got out, and Aella took his lead following him and locking the car, Stefan smiled and took her hand, “I want to show you something.” 

Leading her across the road and towards a large green area that hid ruins and secrets, he stopped. “Are we in the middle of nowhere?” Aella smirked, not knowing at all where she was.

Stefan smiled sadly at her, leading her closer to the ruins, “This… didn’t used to be nowhere.” His hand squeezed hers, “This... used to be my home.”

Eyes wide, Aella looked to his sad face, shocked that Stefan’s home was mere rubble, “Oh Stefan.” She sighed sadly, “It must be heartbreaking to see your home like this.”

“It is,” he nodded with a tight smile and a quick squeeze of their joined hands. “But I brought you here because I wanted to tell you everything. I want you to know everything. I’ve controlled everything I’ve told people in the past, and it’s backfired in my face... I’m not gonna hold anything back.”

Aella nodded and looked down at the floor for a moment before leading him over to a couple of stones, good enough to be used as a seat. “Okay then,” she agreed as they sat down, hand still in his. “You jump, I jump, Jack.”

“Jack?” Stefan asked bemusedly.

Aella raised an eyebrow, lips parted in disbelief, “You’ve been 17-years-old for over 150 years and don’t know a Titanic reference?” When Stefan opened his mouth to reply, Aella waved him off, “We’re getting distracted, though we will return to this at some point... What I mean is that after you tell your story, I’ll share some more of mine, deal?”

“Deal,” Stefan nodded with a grateful smile. “I’m not gonna hold anything back... Half a century before the Boarding House was even built, this was my family’s home.” He looked back at the ruins with a fond smile, “Damon and I… We were both born here. The Salvatore brothers, best friends... but that all changed the day Katherine Pierce arrived, our Sire.” 

“William Tecumseh Sherman, a Major General in the Union’s Army, had just conducted the Savannah Campaign,” Stefan recalled. Aella watched as his eyes reminiscing the past remembered his past. “After capturing and setting fire to Atlanta, broken families and orphans were being located to small towns. They were housed by those who could afford to.”

Aella smirked as she motioned to the shell of the former mansion, “And let me guess, of course, the Salvatore’s were always happy to help.”

Stefan raised a brow in humor, “My father, Giuseppe Salvatore... he was a greedy businessman, who only had one thing in mind. Image.”

“Wait a second,” the brunette raised her finger, lips pursed in amusement. “Your father’s name was Giuseppe?”

Stefan ignored her and carried on, “Katherine, had lost all of her family in the siege, and my father took her in. She arrived with her companion and maid, Emily Bennett. When she stepped out of her carriage, she was the most beautiful person I had ever seen-” Stefan winked at Aella “-excluding current company.” Aella simply batted her lashes playfully and let him continue. “Damon was on leave for the Confederates, and soon the both of us were wrapped around her little finger.”

“By choice?” Aella queried, curious how one woman could bewitch two men at the exact same time.

“I never knew,” Stefan rose, playing with a piece of grass between his fingers. “While her compulsion wore off after I became like her, I had never been forced to do anything... It was more like she used her words and powers to entice me when I was unsure. It’s a question I ask myself every day, and an answer I’m not sure I want to know.”

Aella’s brows drew together, “Because you’re afraid it wasn’t real?”

“No,” Stefan chuckled humorlessly. “I’m afraid it was.”

Aella smiled sadly at his answer, “Why?”

“Damon was my best friend, my partner in crime, my confidant, and my big brother,” Stefan looked away from her as he told his story. She could see how hard this was for him. “And in only a few months, that love for each other had gone, and it was focused on Katherine. I wanted Katherine, and he wanted Katherine. In the end, there would only be one winner, and I was going to make sure it was me.”

The grass between his fingers had now been ripped to shreds, the emotion and fury maiming the lone piece. Aella’s head shook, “Stefan, you were young, you knew no better.”

Stefan turned to her, tears brimming, “And what does that say about me? About my morals, beliefs, and love for my brother?” 

Aella stood up and took hold of his shaking hands, wiping the pieces of grass from them, “My Mom and Dad had this quote on the wall, it was a scripture that they said in their vows and every morning before we’d leave for work, school, fun. My Mom would read it out loud, and then my Dad would kiss her, and then they both kissed me.” Aella smiled tearfully at Stefan and recited the words she knew, if possible, would be written on her heart, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is no-”

“-It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,” Stefan joined her, causing Aella to pause, before continuing with him, allowing the tears to fall down her face. “**It is not easily angered. It keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.**”

Stefan wiped her tears, as she tried to laugh off her embarrassment at crying, “See Stefan, love doesn’t make you feel this way. Someone who is _ supposed _ to love you doesn’t make you feel this way. _ That _ is how you know it wasn’t love with Katherine, and it’s also the reason why Damon should have forgiven you. At the end of it all, you were _ both _ manipulated.

Stefan nodded, listening to her words and realizing she was right, but she also wasn’t aware of the full story. Wiping her tears as she complained about crying, Stefan and she walked around the ruins some more. When he suggested they take a seat again, she nodded, “Just no more emotions, I feel like such an Emo right now. Jeremy would be proud.”

Stefan wiped her remaining tears, “Deal.”

Keeping to his part of his deal, Stefan spoke of the manipulation Katherine Pierce surrounded Stefan and Damon in. It was clear Katherine was a sociopath and only had one agenda; protect herself. Apparently, she even had Emily wrapped around her little finger. Aella wanted to respect her ancestor, but to hear how controlled she was by a vampire, her opinion was quickly changing.

When Aella asked a simple question, Stefan’s emotions took over once again, “What happened to your Dad?”

Stefan stood, this time without anything in his hand as he held out his free hand to Aella, he pulled her up and led her to a corner of the ruins. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Stefan turned to her, green eyes met golden eyes, and all Aella could see was anguish and pain.

“My father died in this very spot,” Stefan simply said, and Aella closed her eyes, praying for his father’s soul for a moment. “And I killed him.”

Aella’s eyes snapped open, “What?”

Stefan tried to ignore the aghast tone Aella’s voice had taken and couldn’t help but feel that his past had ruined his future once again. 

Letting go of her hands he turned his back to her, this was her chance to run if she wanted to, “The day I killed my father, Katherine and I were making love when she bit me for the first time and revealed herself to me. It was only after I had become a vampire I realized she had compelled me to calm down. Due to this calmness, alongside my passion for Katherine, that led to the set of events that would change my family forever.”

Stefan could still feel Aella there, her heartbeat still fast, anxious. “My father, as one of the founding families, had noticed the number of deaths occurring in town. He and the other founders had somehow come to the conclusion of vampires, and so the Founder’s Council was created.”

“Founder’s Council?” Aella timidly asked, causing Stefan to finally look at her. His heart aching at her unshed tears.

But Stefan had to finish what he started, “The Founder’s Council’s only goal was to protect the town from the threat of Vampires. It was their plan in 1864, to gather the vampires and lock them in the cellar of old Fell’s church and burn them to death, using the Battle of Willow Creek to cover it up. 

Aella thought back to class, their first class together, “That’s how you knew about the twenty-seven casualties in History class. Because you lived it.”

He numbly nodded, “I unknowingly participated in it. After hearing of the town’s plan to kill the vampires, to potentially kill Katherine, I went to see my father. Unintentionally, I hinted that I knew of vampires staying in Mystic Falls when I stupidly suggested that vampires might not be as evil as they were made out to be. All Katherine ever said was that she wanted was us to be together, with Damon and I, forever. And I wanted that too. 

“I met my father that evening, and he tested me by drugging my drink with vervain,” Stefan continued. “When Katherine went to see me that night and bit me again, the vervain within my blood had poisoned and incapacitated her. Katherine appeared so sick and weakened all of a sudden, and that’s when I learned of vervain and how it affected vampires. My father, hearing Katherine collapse, entered my room and told me of his trickery and urged me to let the sheriff know.”

“And did you?” Aella questioned him. “Go to the Sheriff? Even though your father had just used you?”

Stefan raised a brow at her questions. She didn’t sound particularly fond of his father, “Even compelled, my fear of my father was far greater than my love for Katherine.”

Aella stepped closer to him as she softly asked, “I don’t want to ask this, but Barbara Walters is coming out of me, did he..?”

“No,” Stefan quickly assured her with an upturned smile. “I was always the ‘good’ son, compared to Damon. Well… until that night. My father set in motion Katherine’s capture, which corresponded with a town-wide vampire roundup. Later, I discovered Katherine had been captured by our father and Damon, was extremely devastated and furious with me. Damon had made me promise not to tell our father about Katherine, and in his eyes, I had. Damon ended up blaming me for Katherine’s capture. Still does.

“I promised Damon that I would do everything I could to help him get Katherine back,” Stefan explained, his eyes pained. “We planned a course of action to get around the guards who were on watch for the vampires, and eventually made it to the cage where Katherine was being held captive. We got Katherine out of the cage, but as soon as we were ready to escape with her, Damon was shot by someone. I picked up a gun to shoot whoever had shot my brother, but before I could do so, I was also shot directly in the chest. I watched Katherine, who lay on the ground nearby, still weakened by the vervain. That was the last time I ever saw Katherine, and the last time I was human.”

“Oh, wow,” Aella sadly sighed. “Do you know who shot you and Damon?”

Stefan laughed bitterly, “My father.”

“What?!” Aella exclaimed, her eyes wide. “Is that why you-” she cut a finger across her throat “-him?”

Stefan’s lips quirked at her action but shook his head, “No. The next morning, I woke up, confused, and dazed. I searched for his gunshot wound but found I had been healed, and noticed that I was wearing an unfamiliar ring.” 

Stefan showed Aella his ring, the Salvatore’ S’ prominent in the center, “Emily then approached me and told me that Katherine had told her to make that ring for me, and one for Damon, weeks before. She explained everything that had happened since I was shot. Emily had discovered Damon, and I lay dead in the woods and brought us to the quarry. We were now transitioning into vampires. 

“I was confused,” Stefan frowned, remembering that moment. “I wondered how it was possible if I had never drunk Katherine’s blood. But Emily confessed that Katherine had compelled me for weeks to drink her blood, while Damon had been drinking from Katherine willingly.”

“What a bitch!” Aella grumbled. “This was going to be her plan all along, it just got rushed along with Papa Salvatore stepping in. And Damon knew the whole time?”

“So he says,” Stefan shrugged, unsure. “She could control my mind, and I’m pretty sure Damon’s too. I mean, she compelled each of us to keep the secret from the other. Damon’s adamant he knew it all, but I worry if his devotion shadows his logic.”

Aella took a seat on the grass, this was all, so mind-blowing. Shaking her head in disbelief, she looked up to Stefan, “This is just crazy.” She smirked at him, “This could be an actual movie plot…” Her eyes went wide as she jiggled on the spot, “Ooh or a TV Show!”

Stefan took her lead, appreciating her humor following such dark memories. He sat on the ground opposite her, “Who would watch that?”

“Who would watch Twilight?” Aella countered back with a grin. When Stefan stared at her for a second too long, Aella groaned and held her hands up, “Okay, I did. And I loved it. Sue me!”

They laughed for a second together, and then it went silent, they knew there was more to tell, raising her brow as she took his hand she asked, “So what happened next?”

“Damon and I discussed our options, and both of us agreed to die without transitioning. We didn’t want to be a vampire without Katherine.” Stefan pursed his lips in thought, the horror of his betrayal making itself known again. “It was after this, everything changed. Later in the evening, I began to notice that I had heightened senses, including long-distance hearing. I overheard my father and Johnathan Gilbert, discussing the vampires being captured and destroyed. My father wanted to keep secret that his sons were vampire sympathizers, preferring we be known for dying nobly and bravely in the fight against the vampires. I was so hurt that, even in our death, he still felt ashamed of us.”

Aella could see the anger growing in Stefan’s eyes, “I confronted him, he mentioned my mother. He said so spitefully that my mother would have been extremely disappointed in her sons, were she alive to see what we had become. When he confessed to me that he was the one who had shot and killed both Damon and I, the way he said it, it was like he just killed a spider... So unfeeling, like we were nothing. I told him I had not fully turned into a vampire yet and that I was choosing to let myself die instead of drinking human blood. But he didn’t care and instead produced a stake and tried to kill me.”

Aella’s mouth fell open in shock, but Stefan carried on, as if in that room with his father. “I underestimated my new-found strength and threw him against the wall, causing him to accidentally be stabbed by the wooden stake in the stomach. I tried to help him, but he refused me, disgusted by what I was becoming.” 

The tears falling as Stefan lived that moment again in his mind, all Aella wanted to do was hug and tell him to stop, but he needed to do this. “When I pulled the stake out of my father’s stomach, my bloodlust became too much for me to suppress. I tasted my father’s blood, completing my transition into a full vampire.”

Stefan turned away from her in shame, “You must think I’m a monster.”

“Monster?” Aella repeated back, confused. “No, Stefan. Never.”

Stefan slowly turned back to her, “But you looked so horrified when I told you.”

“Yeah,” Aella nodded as she bit her lip in thought. “Horrified that you had to go through that! Not that you had killed him. She placed her hand on his defined cheek and smiled gently at him, “I may have known you a short while Stefan, but I can say, without doubt, you are no monster. And now I know the whole story, I can only pat myself on the back for believing that.”

“What?” Stefan bemusedly asked. “Pat yourself on the back?”

“Yeah!” Aella smiled with a nod, happy he was slightly smiling again. “I knew all along, so, therefore, I am a genius, and since I can’t ask you to pat my back in congratulations for this revelation. I had to do it myself. And it’s not like I can high five myself! That would be weird.” 

Stefan leaned forward and pecked her lips with a sweet kiss, “You’re amazing.”

Aella returned the kiss back with a happy sigh, “You got it, dude.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	9. The kind of folder with a typed label called 'Jacka$$es'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

“So, what happened next?” Aella asked after they had kissed for a few moments. Walking back to their original seats outside the ruins, they left the past behind in that room. 

“I went to meet Damon,” Stefan began again as they both sat down, still holding onto both Aella’s hands. “And I was on such a high from the blood and transition that I told Damon about how amazing it felt to be a vampire. It was a gift; how he could willingly turn off his emotions, the pain, and the guilt. I had compelled a young woman on the way to meet him, where I convinced my brother to become a vampire by drinking her blood. Damon initially refused, but I would not relent, saying I couldn’t let him die. Eventually, Damon drank the girl’s blood and told me that I was right, that it felt like a whole new world being a vampire. I hoped this meant we could be brothers and companions together forever.”

“Well, you know what they say about hope, right?” Aella asked as she rolled her eyes, “It breeds eternal misery.”

Stefan snorted with a sad smile, “And that’s exactly what Damon promised me. He promised that he would make my life miserable for the rest of eternity.”

“Which is now the reason why instead of being all buddy, buddy like, The Jonas Brothers, you’re Earth’s version of Hades and Zeus,” Aella simplified in her own unique way.

Stefan pursed his lips together, “Not exactly how I would describe it, but essentially yes.”

“So, the only reason Damon is here is that he saw you happy?”

Stefan sighed deeply, he knew he’d have to get to this part, “Not exactly, it was because of Elena.”

“Elena?” Aella repeated, confused, “As in my Elena? The girl that never takes her head out of diary Elena? Why?”

Stefan reached into his pocket and pulled out the photo that he had kept all these years and handed it to her, “Because of this.”

Aella stared at the photo of Elena in a dorky dress and with very large hair and started laughing, “Where did you get this from? Did you put it in an online generator or something? Because damn, that looks awesome… Weird… But awesome!”

Aella looked to Stefan. When she realized he wasn’t laughing with her, she sobered up pretty quickly, “Why did Damon come because of Elena? Why would that affect you?”

“Because the girl in that photo is not Elena Gilbert, it’s Katherine Pierce.”

“What?” Aella ripped her hands from his and stood up, taking a step back. “That’s impossible.

Stefan only shrugged, “I’m a 170-year-old vampire, and you’re a witch, we’ve beaten the impossible.”

Aella only looked down at the picture, tears developing again as a twist pulled in her stomach, “Did you come for Elena? Are you here for Elena, to replace Katherine?”

“No!” Stefan was quick to stand and take hold of Aella's face, making her look into his eyes. “I wanted to return to Mystic Falls because it had been so long and I saw Elena and it was crazy and yes I felt something, but then I met you, and you smiled at me, and that was it. I knew at that moment that what I had with Katherine, with any woman in all my years, I would never be able to meet another woman and feel what I felt for you that day. I go to sleep, and I think of you, I wake up, and I think of you, I’m in class or sitting at home and I. Think. Of. You.”

Aella took hold of his hands on her face and squeezed them as the tears started to fall, “But this is not normal, Stefan. The woman you loved is the spitting image of my best friend, how is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged and wiped her tears away. “How are we possible? Just know that no matter what, it’s you, and it will always be you.”

“Promise?” Aella whimpered, and Stefan only nodded and kissed her firmly.

When he pulled away, Aella groaned and roughly wiped her tears away, “Is this a part of being in a relationship? Tears? If it is, I hate it!”

“Relationship?” Stefan questioned with a soft, teasing smile, “Have something you want to ask me?”

Aella stared at him for a second in disbelief before she gathered herself together and cleared her throat, way too loud. “Well, since I’m the only one alive in this relationship,” Aella rolled her eyes dramatically, “Stefan, will you be my boyfriend?”

Stefan leaned forward and kissed her again when they came out for breath, and before he could kiss her again, Aella confirmed, “Is that a yes?” 

He sweetly pecked her head, and nose, and lips, before looking into her eyes, “That’s a yes.”

Following the big reveal and the new relationship status, Stefan and Aella walked back to her car hand in hand.

“So, what is Damon’s plan?” Aella asked after a few moments of silence. 

Stefan sighed, “I don’t know, and that worries me. Animal blood keeps me alive, but not as strong as Damon. He can be very powerful.”

“And can’t we-” Aella shrugged in frustration, “-threaten him to leave town?”

Stefan quickly shook his head at that idea, “Forcing Damon not to do something is much more dangerous, believe me.”

“So, he sees that you are happy here and with me, and what?” Aella shrugged in frustration. “He’ll get mad and want to ruin it. That’s his evil plan?”

They reached her car, and Stefan leaned her against it, trapping her between him and the car, “That’s the thing about Damon. He doesn’t get mad. He just gets even. He’ll retaliate in the only way that he knows he can hurt me.”

“Which is?”

“By hurting you.”

“Oh, wow!” Aella exclaimed, eyes wide, as Stefan rubbed her side in comfort. “That’s a bummer. Does he know I’m a witch?”

Stefan shook his head, “I don’t think so, but as soon as he hears your surname, he’ll know - like I did.” 

Aella nodded to herself at that information and took a deep breath, she had all the information, and now she had to buckle up and deal with it. She wasn’t a scardy cat, she didn’t run at the first sign of danger - she usually ran towards it. Damon may be a 170-year-old vampire with an eye for vengeance on his brother… on her, but she wasn’t going to take that lying down. “Okay, then. We can deal with this. We know he’s going to have a plan up his sleeve, I mean; why reveal yourself if you don’t already have a game plan. We’ve just got to be careful.”

“_Very _careful,” Stefan emphasized, raising his brow at her. 

He had heard some very interesting things about Aella since arriving. 

“That’s what I said,” She smirked, eyes glistening in mischievousness. “Very careful.”

Stefan wasn’t swayed and instead changed the subject, “So now what?”

Looking at her watch, Aella sighed in mock sadness, “So now, I have to explain to my best friends where I’ve been all day. School finished 10 minutes ago.

“Well then,” Stefan smiled and opened the car door, “Your carriage awaits.”

“Oh,” Aella grinned and took on Scarlett O’Hara i.e., Gone with the Wind, “Why, thank you, kind Sir.” And took a seat in the car. Giggling to herself when she heard Stefan laugh as he made his way around to the driver’s side. 

**GILBERT HOUSE**   
  
Aella sleepy, made her way into the dark house and tip-toed up the stairs to her room. Thankfully she had annoyed Caroline so much with Full House references that Caroline had kicked her out. 

_ Mission Accomplished. _

She literally collapsed on the bed, clothes fully on, and soon she was fast asleep. 

Not for too long, thanks to her messed up dreams.

Aella thought she would dream like other girls who had met a cute guy, a filthy dream of future sexy moments so that she could pretend it was a vision and not just a dirty dream.

Instead, she had a vision of Tanner and Jenna.

At least she hoped to god it was a vision and not a dirty dream as the two sat in Tanner’s classroom.

Her visions were always strange to go through, it was almost like her mind was wide awake, while her body was fast asleep. She could literally have a one-sided conversation with her sleeping self-depending on the vision, and her body would just look so peaceful. The only problem was the next morning that she would be so mentally exhausted it would affect her mood.

“_Jeremy’s skipped six of his classes, and you’re related to the family how? The, uh, mother’s kid sister? _” 

Aella turned over to the other pillow on her bed, trying to shake away the patronizing tone Tanner was talking to Jenna in.

“_He’s moody, withdrawn, argumentative, hungover. Are there any other relatives in the picture? Could there be? _”

Aella wanted to laugh out loud, but she didn’t think this was possible in her sleep. Jeremy used to be like that, not anymore. He was speaking of Jeremy - pre-summer vacation.

“_It is an extremely impossible job, and anything less, and you’re not doing it properly. _”

At his final words, Aella shot up from her sleep, eyes wide and hands reaching out to strangle someone. When she blinked a few times, she realized her rage had woken her up, and unfortunately for her, when she woke from her sleep, she usually couldn’t get back to it.

Looking at her alarm clock, she saw that the bright red numbers said 05:45, a lot earlier than she would usually get up, but Aella knew she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep.

Pulling herself out of bed, Aella shrugged on the maroon sweater, laid over her desk chair, and stepped carefully out of her bedroom. She tip-toed down to the kitchen, where she could get some coffee.

She’d just stepped into the living room when she heard the uniquely beautiful sound of the coffee machine running. Cautiously, she stepped towards the kitchen and saw the familiar auburn hair of her adopted guardian. 

Aella purposely made her steps loud so she wouldn’t alarm her. She knew Jenna had heard her when she pulled out Aella’s personalized tie-dye mug and filled both cups with coffee.

“So,” Aella said, jumping onto the stool. “What time did you get up?”

Jenna laughed sarcastically, “An answer for that question would mean I actually went to sleep.”

“Ouch!” She winced, taking a nice long sip of her coffee. “Tanner?”

Jenna looked up from her coffee, shocked, “How did you..?” She shook her head, laughing, “Forget I asked, you always seem to know what’s going on. But yes, I have my meeting with Tanner today.”

“About Jeremy?”

“Yup,” Jenna nodded, handing her the letter she received from Tanner.

Aella took it, drinking her coffee while she skimmed the letter. The words that her eyes drew to were so like the words Tanner had spoken to Jenna in her vision. 

She nodded, placing the letter in front of her and taking a red pen from Jenna’s college paperwork. “Well, to start,” she circled the number of times Tanner said Jeremy hadn’t been in class. “Jeremy has only been skipping Tanner’s class, why? Because he is a jackass that picks on those that are vulnerable or are struggling to keep up.”

She then circled the phrase, ‘Extra-Curricular activities,’ “This is pre-summer Jeremy. He’s talking about Jeremy drinking and when he was recreationally taking pain pills because it numbed everything. Jeremy is now drug-free and willing to ask his family for favors, talk to his family about his problems, and realize right from wrong.”

She looked up at Jenna and saw that she was actively listening and taking down notes, “Finally, just know that Tanner has a folder for his most hated students. If you looked in there now, you’d find a folder for Jeremy and for me.

“What kind of folder?” Jenna asked, concerned.

“The kind of folder with a _ typed _label called ‘ **Jackasses**,’” Aella shrugged, taking the final sip of her coffee.

“Typed!” Jenna repeated disgustedly. “Jackasses? What an idiot! And Jeremy only skips his class?”

“Yup,” Aella frowned. “He’s dreadful to Elena, and she doesn’t skip his class, so I can’t imagine what Tanner is like with Jeremy.”

Jenna nodded and quickly wrote down some more things on the notepad, Aella took hold of her writing hand so she could get Jenna’s attention. As soon as Jenna looked into her eyes, Aella smiled gently, “And I only know this because I have classes with that idiot. AND, Jeremy is forced to tell me this only when I threaten to spit in his coffee.”

Jenna sniggered but nodded, getting at what Aella was telling her. But Aella wasn’t finished, “You didn’t question me staying here with you guys once when they died. You have become my aunt that I can go to whenever I feel happy, sad, angry, or lost. Most importantly, you have not belittled us, treated us like children, or hovered over us. That’s why you are the perfect guardian for us.” Jenna’s eyes filled with tears as she held Aella’s hand tighter, “You lost your brother-in-law and your big sister, you nearly lost your niece too! If that doesn’t make you the best guardian for us, then nobody is.”

Jenna smiled, and the tears started falling down her face, “I love you, kiddo.” She pulled Aella into a firm hug.

“I love you too, Jenna,” Aella smiled, squeezing her back.

“Aunt,” Jenna corrected her and pulled back slightly to look into Aella’s eyes. “Call me, Aunt Jenna?”

Aella smiled at Jenna and fell into her arms again, “I love you too, Aunt Jenna.”

..............................................

..............................................

An hour later, Elena, who had arrived home from Caroline’s, laid with Aella on their fronts on Jenna’s bed, watching her try on clothes for her meeting with Tanner. Since her talk with Aella, Jenna was pumped for the meeting, ready to give him hell and not about to take any of his shit.

Jenna stepped out, wearing a black dress to which Elena nodded while wolf-whistling at her. Still, Aella was quick to shake her head, “No way, Tanner is gonna think you’re a fashion-conscious airhead that can spend time getting dressed but can’t look after her nephew, no offense.”

“None taken,” Jenna grumbled, heading back into her wardrobe.

A few minutes later she stepped out in jeans, a blue blouse, and a black blazer, Elena and Jenna looked to Aella who nodded lips pursed, “I like. Jeans are laid back, but the blazer looks like you tried without trying too hard.”

Jenna nodded satisfied and closed her closet door looking in the full-length mirror, “Hair up or down?”

Aella now looked to Elena, as was the wannabe hairstylist in their house, and put Aella’s hair into crazy designs. Jenna fluffed her curls then twisted them up into a clip, “Sexy stewardess.” Jenna let her hair down, “Boozy housewife.”

“Up it is,” Jenna declared, twisting it back up. “You’re feisty today.”

“She learned from the best,” Aella smirked, leaving the room to get changed.

Elena chuckled, “I feel good, which is rare. So I’ve decided to go with it. Fly free, walk on the sunshine, and all that stuff. Where is Jeremy?”

“Downstairs making us all coffee,” Jenna told her, placing some grips in her hair to properly secure it. “I think he feels bad that I have to do this meeting with Mr. Douche.”

“As long as you kick ass in that meeting, that is all that matters, Aunt Jenna,” Elena told her, leaving the room and going downstairs. Unlike her best friend, she was dressed. 

Ten minutes later, Aella ran downstairs and into the kitchen. She saw her coffee cup on the table with a spoon standing in it, meaning Jeremy had already added her sugar. 

“Hmmmm,” Aella moaned while gulping her coffee. “Perfect, Jeremy, thanks!”

“No problem,” Jeremy smiled amused, sipping his own coffee.

It was silent as all of the inhabitants of the Gilbert House drank their coffees.

“Hey, Lia?” Jeremy turned to her.

Over the rim of her coffee cup, Aella’s eyes were suspicious, “I knew my coffee was too good to be true.”

Jeremy laughed, “Can you give me a lift to the hospital, so I can see Vicki before school? I tried to go yesterday, but she wasn’t allowed, visitors.”

“Sure,” she nodded, then stood up. “But I’m giving Bonnie a lift to school, so we have to go now.”

Jeremy quickly stood, grabbing his bag from the floor, “Thanks.”

Aella nodded and put on her khaki jacket that she had brought down with her. Just then, Jeremy kissed Jenna’s cheek and wished her a good meeting, as Jeremy ran out to Aella’s car, the three women stared in shock at each other.

“Did… he just..?” Jenna stuttered, pointing to where Jeremy had just left.

“Glad I wasn’t the only one to see that,” Aella chuckled and followed the teen out the door. “Kickass, Jenna!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	10. I think I'd rather go against Damon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS HOSPITAL**

“Our family name, Bennett, has the meaning of ‘blessed’ or ‘one who is blessed,’ or so that’s what Grams and Google said,” Aella shrugged, starting off small and working her way up.

She and Bonnie were sitting in the hospital car park discussing their witch ancestry as they waited for Jeremy while he quickly visited Vicki. 

“Our family originally settled in Salem, but after the witch trials began, we relocated to Mystic Falls late 1600s. That’s where we remained until 2009.”

Aella grinned and quickly turned to Bonnie, “But the coolest thing is our family has one of the strongest witches line, dominated by women.”

“Girl power at its best!” Bonnie laughed and fist-pumped the air.

“Hell yeah!” Aella agreed as she smiled softly. “There has only been a select number of men born in the Bennett family, the first was Emily Bennett’s brother in the 1800s, and the second was my Dad.”

Bonnie grabbed Aella’s hand and squeezed it in comfort, Aella quickly squeezed back as she thought about her Dad, “The men, warlocks, can be very powerful, which my dad was.”

“And your mom was a witch, too, right?” Bonnie asked, wanting to know more and more. “Grams said she was different to us, which is how your magic is different, right?” 

“Yeah,” she nodded and explained further. “My mother, me, and her family have a tradition of male and female witches. Their power comes from the elements around us. Without those elements, no magic. While the Bennett witches magic is linked to Traveller magic, a magic that forms inside a person and can be used with belief and spells.”

Bonnie took it in, glad it was her cousin explaining this and not Grams who started telling her after half a bottle of brandy. “So my magic needs to be believed in and can be used with spells, but as you are part Elemental and part Traveller, your magic is different?”

“Straight forward, right?” Aella laughed sarcastically, “But yeah, my magic is more Elemental as the elements are a part of life, but it’s my Bennett magic that allows me to complete spells.” She shrugged her shoulder, spinning the ring on her finger, “To be honest, since my mom worked locally compared to my Dad, who traveled, my elemental magic was more practiced. Then, after she died, it called out to me - it’s in my blood.” Aella laughed humorlessly, “It’s hard to explain-”

“-no, it’s not,” Bonnie smiled, taking her hand once more. “I think it’s beautiful that you can be connected with your parents, even now.”

Aella smiled at her cousin, squeezing her hand back.

..............................................

..............................................

Jeremy navigated to Vicki’s room and leaned against the doorway, watching her, even though her back was towards him.

“You can’t be in here, hon.” A nurse told him as she squeezed past him to go into Vicki's room, “Visiting hours don’t start till 9am.”

Jeremy nodded, taking a step back, “Okay, I just... how is she?”

The nurse smiled sadly at him, “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Yeah,” Jeremy shrugged but wanted to know a little more. “But she’s gonna be okay, right?”

“She needs her rest,” The nurse told him before squeezing his shoulder, leading him away from the room. “So, you come back later.”

Jeremy followed her, and just as she let him go so he could leave, he quickly turned and tapped the nurse on her shoulder, “Excuse me, nurse?” She turned to look at him smiling. “Vicki has had some issues with drugs in the past... I just thought you’d like to know.”

The nurse smiled brighter and squeezed his arm again, “We did know, her brother told us, but thank you for letting me know. You must be a very good friend to her. After all, you’re the only one that’s visited.”

Jeremy smiled back at her, then realized what she said, “Only one?”

“Yeah,” the nurse smiled sadly. “Such a beautiful girl, yet she only has one admirer and her brother.” 

She nodded at him once more before walking back to the nurse’s station. Jeremy stared at Vicki’s room before following the exit signs and heading to Aella’s waiting car.

..............................................

..............................................

Aella motioned to the glove case, “Can you open that?”

Bonnie nodded, although she was confused. She opened it to see two antique necklaces resting there, both different, but both definitely old.

“The green one,” Aella pointed out, and Bonnie pulled it out, closing the case and looking at Aella.

“It belonged to a witch of the Bennett family,” She took the necklace from Bonnie and opened the small latch hidden in the back. It was tiny, and only would the wearer know it was there. 

She showed Bonnie the inside, “Inside is a herb called Vervain, as long as this is around your neck with this herb and no one knows this herb is inside, then you’ll be protected.”

Bonnie nodded, taking the necklace, trying out the clasp before she attached it around her neck. Aella told her this with her face as grave as anything Bonnie had seen. If her cousin was this serious, then she would listen.

“Bonnie...” Aella started then stopped biting her lip. “While Witches are immune, Vervain is a powerful herb that protects you from one thing... One something.”

“Something?” Bonnie laughed nervously, Aella still had that look on her face.

Her cousin nodded and gulped wearily, “Grams didn’t want me to tell you, but I think you should know the evil that is out there that likes to use witches. If you’re ready for it.”

“One hundred percent,” Bonnie nodded slightly scared but then smiled slightly, “You know, I know Jack.”

Aella chuckled and took Bonnie’s hands in hers, “Vampires are real Bonnie.” She ignored the shocked look on her cousin’s face and quickly continued. “They use compulsion, which makes your mind listen to what they demand, doing bad things, doing things you wouldn’t like, feeding on you. They can do it all but,” she touched her own ring and Bonnie’s necklace, “We always wear them and never draw attention to them, then we’re always safe.”

“Even if the lore says as Witches we’re protected, I always wear my necklace.” Aella went into her handbag and pulled out a packet of loose herbs and a small jar of clear liquid, “As another, backup, add a drop of this to your morning drink and spread the herbs in the coffee granules. As long as you ingest it every day they can’t compel you and God forbid they bite you, this will poison them.”

Bonnie took it and quickly placed them in her bag, “You’re prepared, any reason why?”

Aella laughed nervously and winked at her cousin, noticing Jeremy making his way to them, “Now that dear cousin, is an answer for another day. But should you go low on either, let me know immediately and I’ll get more.”

Bonnie nodded and hugged Aella tight, “Next lesson, showing me what you can do.”

“Deal!” Aella smiled and started the car when she heard the rear door on Bonnie’s side open up. “How’d it go, Baby J?” She asked as she drove them to school.

“She’s lost a lot of blood, but she’s healing,” Jeremy explained, missing Aella’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. However, Bonnie didn’t and touched her necklace as she hid it underneath her top. “But the jackass hasn’t bothered visiting.”

Aella raised her brow at Jeremy through the rearview mirror, “Which I’m sure you’re gonna give him hell about, right?”

Jeremy coughed out a smug, “Yeah!”

“Good!” Aella nodded in agreement. “Just as long as I’m there, and it’s not when Jenna speaks to Tanner.”

Jeremy chuckled as she winked at him, “Deal.”

  
**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

  
Stefan was waiting on one of the benches near the car park when he saw Aella’s red car pull up in her usual space, when she jumped out of the car he got up from his seat and slowly started towards her.

He was nervous, she took everything so well yesterday that he worried if today she had finally realized that he was a vampire. Though, when she looked at him and smiled brightly, those fears evaporated instantly, and he found himself smiling back at her.

While she slowly walked up to him, she opened up her jacket, revealing her to be wearing a white crop top that showed off her tanned stomach. Yet it was the writing on the top that had him chuckling to himself: ‘Play with Fairies, Ride a Unicorn, Swim with Mermaids, Fly to the Moon.’

Aella reached him and immediately went up onto her toes, so her eyes were at the same height as his; Stefan held her in place, allowing him to take the strain from her with ease. 

“Good morning, Count Drac,” she smirked.

Stefan chuckled, squeezing her waist slightly, “Good morning, Glinda.”

She then leaned in and pecked his lips as she pulled back, he was quick to pull her back to his lips.

At the very bench, he waited for Aella, Aella’s friends were not hiding their interest in the couple. 

“What the hell had happened since the party?”

“Did we know they kissed?”

“I mean, they did ditch together yesterday.”

“This is not a mirage, right?”

Caroline stood, her mouth open in shock, not answering the incoming questions from Elena and Bonnie, who thought she knew. She should have known Aella was annoying her last night, even more than usual, for a reason. Stefan had driven Aella to her house and had come in while Caroline had grilled him about where they had been, but Stefan was silent, and no goodbye kisses or hugs had occurred.

That scheming bitch… she so reminded Caroline of… herself. 

“So, are you okay with everything?” Stefan asked Aella.

Aella stroked his cheek, smiling gently, “Are _ you _okay with everything?”

“Yes.”

Aella chuckled at his confidence, “Then definitely yes. You’re a vampire with a crazy brother and an ex that looks scarily like my best friend. I’m a witch with three overprotective best friends.”

“Three overprotective best friends, who are currently staring at us right now,” Stefan muttered, looking over her shoulder.

Aella faked a gasp, “No? Really?” At his look of disapproval, she shrugged, kissing his cheek before pulling away and walking over to her friends, smiling widely at them. “C’mon, they’re not _ that _bad.”

Stefan looked at their faces and gulped when Caroline glared at him, as Aella pulled him over to them he thought to himself, _ ‘I think I’d rather go against Damon _.’

.................................................

.................................................

Aella’s right arm was quickly taken hostage by her best friend as Caroline pulled her towards Bonnie and Elena, allowing Bonnie to take hold of her left arm so that all four best friends walked together in a straight line.

“So...” Caroline smirked at her. “Spill! What the hell happened last night?”

Aella just blushed a little at the question but also knowing that Stefan could hear everything.

“She came home at One am after the party,” Elena smiled smugly at the three of them. “And where were you yesterday. You still haven’t told us.”

Aella glared at her adopted sister before groaning aloud, “Fine, I’ll tell you!”

She pulled them over to a bench nearest to the school and turned to look at Stefan, waving him goodbye. He walked past smirking, knowing precisely what they were talking about and knew even across the school, he would still be able to hear it.

“Okay, so I thought I was a bit harsh on him after Caroline hit on him.” Aella started holding up her hand when Caroline opened her mouth to talk. “I know you’re sorry, C, and I also know you’re a complete airhead while you’re drunk, so forget it happened. Anyway, I felt like it had been a bit OTT, especially after seeing Vicki, and so I went to his house; we talked, we made out, talked some more, kissed, and then drove me home. Yesterday we just got to know each other. The end.”

The bell rang just as the girls were about to demand more, “Oh look! Saved by the bell!” Aella smirked and quickly walked away from them. “See you in History.”

.................................................

.................................................

“Originally discovered nearly 5 centuries ago, it hasn’t been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years...” Tanner told his class, as Aella and Stefan wrote secret words in their desks with their fingers to see if the other could guess.

So far, they had written easy words that had been brought up recently; Vampire, Dracula, Wicked, Witch, Kiss, Blood, Damon, Caroline. Now they, meaning Aella, had decided to try two words, only she didn’t tell Stefan, and now he wore an adorable confused face that had her giggling.

“Now, the comet will be its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow’s celebration. Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Ms. Bennett?”

Aella laughter stopped, but her smirk did not fall.

“No, Mr. Tanner,” Stefan answered for the two of them.

Tanner stared them down when the bell rang, and Aella, once again, was quick to pull Stefan out of the classroom before Tanner gave them detention.

“Walking Dead!” Aella immediately told him and, at his confused face, revealed more, “The word; walking dead.”

Stefan pointed at her immediately in fake outrage, “You went to two words?! Without telling me!”

Aella smirked, “Maybe.”

“I win,” he declared

Aella stopped on the spot tugging Stefan back, “I think not, Count!”

“I think so. Glinda!” Stefan smirked, “You cheat, you lose.”

“In whose world?!”

“Everyone’s!” He laughed and pulled her to walk again.

“Everyone’s world is boring,” she grumbled as Stefan put his arm around her shoulders.

“Except yours.” 

Aella looked at him, crazily, “Uh, duh!”

.................................................

.................................................

Walking down the opposite corridor, Caroline pulled Bonnie along as Bonnie fiddled with her new necklace.

“I’m confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?” Caroline asked, suddenly making Bonnie stop in shock.

“What?!” Bonnie exclaimed, confused about how Caroline knew anything.

“The night of the party?” Caroline confirmed slightly bothered how anxious Bonnie looked. “I may have been drunk, but you don’t forget when your best friend says she can see things!”

“I did?!” Bonnie questioned again.

“Yes!” Caroline laughed nervously. “When we were at the Mystic Grill. I saw the hottie, and you said that you couldn’t see him, but you felt a bad vibe from him. And then said something about a vision and a bottle.”

“Oh yeah,” Bonnie chuckled uncomfortably, trying to figure out a way to get out of this conversation. She’d only just found out about being a witch. She needed to understand more from Aella before thinking of explaining to Caroline and Elena.

“Oh, you know how Grams can be when she’s looped on the liquor,” Bonnie slightly lied. Grams may have told her after a few Brandy’s, but she was definitely telling the truth. “So I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Black version of Esmeralda? I don’t think so.”

Caroline stared at her for a moment before shrugging and walking again, dragging Bonnie, “Yeah, well, feel free to conjure up the name and number of that guy from that night.”

“I didn’t see him, you did. Why didn’t you just talk to him? 

“I don’t know. I was drunk and had stupidly gotten rejected by my best friend's crush.” Caroline frowned, “I wasn’t going to risk anything negative happening. I just wanted to stare at his beautiful face.”

.................................................

.................................................

At lunch, their whole group, that now included Jeremy and Stefan, sat around the brown bench, eating lunch and discussing different things.

Elena and Matt were talking about Vicki. Jeremy was listening in trying not to make it visible. Caroline questioned Bonnie about what she was wearing to watch the comet, and Stefan and Aella were whispering to each other about Vicki as Stefan listened in on Matt’s and Elena’s conversation.

Stefan was relaying everything back to Aella, although it looked like he was whispering other things into her ear, especially with the wicked smile that she was portraying. She thought how cool it was to eavesdrop on everyone’s conversations.

“Vicki is staying another night,” he whispered, and Aella nodded. “She mumbled something, but Matt thinks she was spouting nonsense since she was so out of it.”

Stefan went quiet, and Aella spared a glance to see him looking slightly shocked, “What?”

Stefan looked at his phone quickly and went to stand up, but Aella pulled him back down, “What? Sharing is caring!”

“Vampire, Vicki said a vampire bit her,” Stefan revealed, and Aella too looked shocked.

“Okay...” Aella started. “Where are you going?”

“Matt said he’s going to go see her after lunch, I need to get there before him and see if I can compel her to forget.”

“Are you strong enough?” She asked, knowing while he was eating Thumper, his other strengths were not as strong.

“Yes,” Stefan smiled. “But, I have to go now to get there before Matt questions her further.”

Aella suddenly smirked, thinking of an idea, “Wait a second?”

Stefan frowned but nodded, and Aella got up, heading to Matt. “Hey, Matty!” She smiled, sitting on his lap suddenly.

Matt laughed, “Hey, Lia.”

“So...” Aella frowned at him and at the empty space in front of him where his lunch should have been. “A little birdy told me A) you didn’t have enough time to make lunch for today and B) you’re skipping next class to see Vick, right?”

Matt shook his head, smirking, “I should be surprised you know that, but to be honest, I’m not.”

“Good!” She smirked, pulling out a $20 note from her pocket and forcing it in his hand. “Since you’re gonna skip the afternoon anyway, go to the Grill and get you and V two burgers and milkshakes and go surprise your sister.”

“Lia-” Matt started to give her the money back, but she quickly placed her hand on his mouth. 

“Matt, I love you, dearly; you’re like a brother. Please, please go and eat a nice greasy meal for me and treat Vick as well?”

Matt hesitantly nodded his head, mouth still covered.

“Good!” Aella exclaimed, jumping off his lap just as the bell rang. “So Matt, go skip and eat burgers, BFFs go to classes, little J,” she saw him glaring at Tyler, “Don’t kill Tyler, but if you do, call me for help!” She looked to Stefan, who was very impressed, “And you! We are skipping the next class to go make out for a ridiculously long time”.

She grabbed Stefan’s arm, smiling proudly as her best friends watched them walk off.

“Use protection,” Caroline shouted, and Aella just waved the suggestion off.

As they reached her car, Stefan opened the door for her smiling brightly, “You scare me slightly with how well your plans work.”

“Good!” Aella smiled, kissing his cheek and getting in her car.

Off to the hospital, they were going, and once Vicki was compelled, Aella was going to demand a celebratory make-out session. After all, she didn’t want to say she lied to her friends... Only bent the truth a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	11. Now do your weirdy eye brain changey wordy thing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

Just as Aella and Stefan left for the hospital, Jenna arrived at the school for her meeting with Tanner.

Adjusting her jacket, she made her way to the familiar class. Jenna tried to forget that she had already walked this journey quite a few times since becoming guardian to Jeremy and Aella.

Jenna knocked on Tanner’s door and opened it quickly, sticking her head in. Tanner looked up and promptly rose, walking over to Jenna with a proud smirk on his face, “Miss Sommers, welcome, please come in.”

She shook his hand and walked to the desk he motioned to, immediately sitting _ on _ the desk rather than _ in _the desk. Aella was quick to learn and point out that Tanner hated anyone doing it, plus Jenna would be eye level with him.

“So, Mr. Tanner,” Jenna asked as she tried not to smirk at Tanner’s look of disdain of where she sat. “What is this meeting about?”

Tanner scoffed, and the internal Momma bear started scratching at Jenna’s chest, “Where do you start with a child like Jeremy.” He stated rather than questioned, “It’s only the first week of school, and he’s skipped six classes!”

Jenna nodded, concerned, “And which classes are they Mr. Tanner?”

He wasn’t expecting that question and sat up straight, a scowl appearing, “Does it matter?”

It was Jenna’s turn to now scoff, “Of course it matters, I’ve had nothing but good reports from other teachers about Jeremy since he returned this week!” She pulled out letters from her bag, handing them to Tanner, “They all say how great Jeremy is and that he’s back to his old self! His Art teacher has nothing but praise for the beautiful sketches Jeremy is doing again.”

Tanner didn’t take the letters, so Jenna stood up and placed them on his desk before she hopped back on the desk, squirming with glee inside when Tanner flinched at the noise. Oh, Aella really knew how to bug her teacher.

“The only person that seems to be saying negative things about Jeremy is you. If Jeremy is only skipping your class, doesn’t that say something, Mr. Tanner?” Jenna smiled pointedly at him.

“That is not the point!” Tanner demanded, standing up. “Those kids of yours are a menace and should be taken from their ridiculous guardian and thrown out of this school!” 

“Excuse me!” Jenna demanded standing up and facing him eye to eye, Momma Bear was free. “My kids are the most amazing kids who have had to deal with their worst experiences before they’re even 18!”

She walked forward poking Tanner in the chest, his face red with anger, “They are twice the person you will ever be and still have more dignity! You have my children for one hour per day and send them home until the next day, you have no clue what a family really is and how we all stick together!”

She poked him again, “Now you will leave my kids alone. If I hear that Jeremy has been mocked or belittled, you better wish you have a good lawyer Tanner, or I’m coming for you!”

Tanner now looked a little pale and Jenna was feeling good, she picked up the letters from Tanner’s desk and walked to the door. As she opened it, Jenna glanced over her shoulder, glaring fully at him, “And you better get rid of those delinquent files you have in your top draw by the end of today, or the principal will be informed! Got it?”

Tanner quickly nodded, and Jenna smiled brightly at him, “Don’t mess with my kids again, Tanner, I don’t like it!”

And with that, she walked out smiling brightly, strutting down the corridor with the song ‘**He Had It Coming**’ from Chicago playing in her mind.

**MYSTIC FALLS HOSPITAL ** **  
**  
They could have talked on the drive over. Still, Aella had blasted the radio getting him to sing to Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones, she about had a heart attack when he told her he had seen Bon Jovi live. 

“So, what’s the plan?” Aella asked when Stefan parked her car at the hospital.

“I go in and compel her,” Stefan looked at her.

She pulled a disgusted face, “Boooring!”

Stefan smirked; it was like entertaining a child, “Okay, I sneak in the front door and very normally walk past the nurses to draw attention to me.” Aella was smiling brightly at his whispered conspiracy tone. “I then very slowly open Vicki’s door and go over to her, compelling her, and then I walk out like nothing happened.”

“And then?” Aella asked completely enthralled; when Stefan just looked at her, she groaned again, throwing her hands up, “And then... we get back to school and quickly as possible and have the hottest make-out session ever!”

She smiled brightly at him as he chuckled, “Deal.”

When he opened his door, Aella did the same, causing Stefan to look over at her, confused, “What are you doing?”

“I’m coming with you,” She smirked brightly. “I’m taking over your story and adding me into it.” 

She started walking towards the hospital, when Stefan ran up to her halting her steps, “I don’t think so.”

Aella’s smirk didn’t budge, “Oh, I think yes.”

Stefan took hold of her shoulders, “If anyone catches me, then there will be questions, but if they catch both of us, there will be more questions.”

Aella copied his actions taking hold of his strong shoulders, “If they catch you in her room, there will be questions. But! If they catch me and you in her room, they will know it’s one of Matt’s best friends checking on his sister with her new boyfriend.”

She tapped his shoulder, smirking as she stepped around Stefan, walking to the hospital. Stefan stared after her for a few seconds, realizing she was right and then wondered what he was in for with the young witch. It didn’t take long for him to come to his senses as he shook his head, smiling as he ran to catch her up. 

As they walked past the nurses, Aella kept her head held high, holding Stefan’s hand and smiling at all the nurses, which had Stefan cringing at first. Yet, when all the nurses either smiled back and got back on with their jobs or some ignored them, he realized that acting ‘normal’ was a lot more inconspicuous than walking in with head down and acting suspiciously.

When they reached Vicki’s room they stopped outside, Aella looked in the room and saw Vicki’s eyes drowsily opening and closing. She turned to Stefan, “Can I watch you compel her?”

Stefan frowned, “It’ll be pretty hard to compel the past memories away, and then I have to then compel me in her room away, plus I’m not that strong-”

“-That’s okay if you have performance issues,” Aella interrupted his excuses tapping his arm in fake sympathy.

Stefan raised his eyebrows, actually offended, “I do not have performance issues!”

“If you say so...” Aella only smirked as she leaned against the door. 

Stefan stepped closer, enclosing her against the doors within his arms, he quirked his lip at her, “I say so.”

Aella stared into his hypnotizing eyes and swallowed tightly at their closeness. She leaned forward both of their eyes, watching each other as she brushed against his lips, raising her eyebrow at him; she silently asked him, ‘What are you going to do?’.

He glanced down at her lips then forced his onto hers, taking satisfaction at her sigh of pure delight at the kiss. The kiss wasn’t gentle. Every inch of his body was pressed against hers as Aella whimpered into his mouth. He pushed her further into the door, nipping at her lips and invading her mouth with his tongue.

As fast as Stefan started the kiss, he pulled away panting, eyes wide, as his forehead rested on hers. Aella held on tightly to his neck, stood up on her tip-toes as she stretched the moment. Stefan’s head turned quickly when he heard steps, he looked down the corridor before looking down at her, “Matt’s coming.”

“What!” Aella exclaimed, her feet falling back to the floor. 

She looked at Vicki through the glass and noticed her eyes were shut now, an idea quickly running through her head. “Quick!” She motioned with her head and opened the door speedily pulling Stefan into the open bathroom door and closing it behind them.

“You quickly compel while I open the window,” Aella whispered quickly as Stefan panicked. To say he was an old vampire, he didn’t really know how to get himself out of trouble as much as Aella, something that made her proud and frightened at the same time. “When you’ve finished, run in here and jump out of the window, and I’ll meet you in the car.”

“What about you?” Stefan asked, worrying about her, she wouldn’t survive the drop down without him holding her, and if anyone came past...

“Forget me,” she waved off and opened the bathroom door and pulled him out. “Now, do your weirdy-eye-brain-changey-wordy-thing!”

Stefan muffled his laugh as she shut the door behind him, and he quickly sped over to Vicki, hearing Matt’s footsteps and the smell of greasy food.

“_It was an animal that attacked you," _Stefan compelled her. _ “It came out of the night and jumped you. You blacked out. I wasn’t here, It’s all you remember._”

“It’s all I remember,” Vicki repeated back in a trance.

“_An animal attacked you_,  ” he repeated. “_You blacked out. I wasn’t here, It’s all you remember._”

“It’s all I remember.”

When Stefan heard Matt approach the door, he sped into the bathroom, stopping a second as Aella held a bunch of flowers that she’d found in the sink. Casually throwing the card attached away, she smiled up at him before ushering him through the open window and closing it when he jumped through. 

_ “Hey, Vick,” _ Matt greeted his older sister. _ “I’ve got a surprise.” _

Aella took a deep breath swallowing her nerves and smiled brightly, opening the door, “I hope that’s greasy food!”

Matt jumped in his spot to look at her “Lia! What the hell are you doing here?”

Aella held up the flowers, “Jeremy said the room was looking a bit dull, plus I wanted to make sure my money was going on greasy food and not something healthy!”

Matt smirked, holding up the takeaway bag from the Grill, “Greasy food.”

“Good!” Aella smirked, sighing internally in relief, that he noticed nothing wrong. She stepped towards the clear side of Vicki’s bed, seeing she was asleep again.

She placed the flowers on her side table and looked down at Vicki, she had heard what Stefan had said, his voice was so seductive and husky, Aella wanted to kiss his face off there and then. 

Matt shook Vicki, and she woke with a gasp, startling her and Matt. She looked around quickly before settling on Matt, “Matty?”

“Good news, Vick,” Matt smiled and held up the bag. “Nurses said if you can eat a meal without feeling nauseous, you can be released early.”

“That’s great!” Aella clapped, ignoring the glare that came from Vicki when she turned to her. “You can come to the Comet.”

“Maybe,” Matt nodded, smiling happily.

“Well, I just came to deliver flowers...” Aella smiled, walking over to Matt and pulling him in for a big hug. She let him squeeze her a little harder and understood how much he appreciated her help. “Grill at Eight, don’t be late!”

Matt nodded, and Aella waved at Vicki, walking out of the room. When she shut Vicki’s door, she laughed nervously, looking down both sides of the corridor. When she saw no one was there, she squealed quietly on the spot to release some of the adrenaline that had built then started skipping to the exit, her car, and her nervous boyfriend.

She spotted him as soon as she exited and saw him sigh in relief, Aella laughed and ran towards him and jumped into his arms. He pulled her close as she giggled with excitement, “Oh my god! That was so exhilarating.”

She held her arms up and leaned back, knowing he would never drop her, “The compel, the window, the flowers, Matt, wow!”

Stefan smirked up at her, “Glad to see you were calm.” 

Aella eyes crinkled with happiness, “Was the big bad veggie vampire scared?”

Stefan dropped her, and she landed laughing at his annoyed face, she could see the humor glimmering in his eyes. He began walking them to her car, “You are trouble!” 

“Me!” She gasped, holding her chest as they both got into her car. “Innocent me!”

“Innocent my ass,” Stefan smirked, driving out the hospital heading back to school.

“It’s a nice ass, though.”

Stefan glanced over at Aella, who was now smiling softly at him, leaning on her armrest when he stopped at a stop sign, he leaned over, pecking her lips. He was just about to turn right when he looked back at Aella, “You wanna skip the rest of the day?”

Aella eyes squinted playfully, “And furiously make out?”

Stefan laughed, turning the car towards his house, “And furiously make out.”

“You make it sound _ so _ romantic,” she quipped back at him.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Pulling up at his home Stefan placed the car into park before turning towards Aella and sweeping the loose strands of hair free from her updo. Taking hold of her face with one hand, he stroked the apple of her cheek, “I’m going to take you upstairs and kiss those beautiful lips all afternoon.”

“That is a lot better,” Aella swallowed hard, heart beating fast at the desire in his eyes. 

Stefan smiled at the sound, pecking her lips just once before opening his door and speeding round to her side. Opening her door, Aella took a hold of her bag from next to her feet as she stepped out, taking hold of his waiting hand. When he looked at the bag with a curled brow, she shrugged, “Between kisses, I may as well try and do _ some _homework.”

They walked in the house, Stefan smirked taking her bag off her shoulder and placing it on Zach’s desk, “You asked for a furious make-out session.” He picked her up bridal style, grinning as she giggled as he ran them up to his room and threw her onto the bed, smirking down at her, “Homework _ not _included.”

“Ooh La La!” Aella snorted, her hand to her head as she fell back flat on the bed, giggled louder when Stefan jumped onto the bed growling playfully.

..............................................

..............................................

Damon drank from his Bourbon scowling up at the giggles and kissing echoing from Stefan’s room. Even more disturbing... his brother was laughing too.

He was just about to speed up the stairs to ruin his brother’s good mood when he saw an unfamiliar bag sitting on Zach’s desk that was a bit too feminine for any of the Salvatore’s. He slyly glanced up the stairs, still hearing the giggles and opened the bag. He smirked, looking through the pack, ignoring books and pens and _girly things_, when he saw what he wanted. He pulled the cellphone out, smiling devilishly when he realized he could access the phone without a password, “Tut tut Aella, no password?” 

He quickly went to messages and immediately highlighted Elena’s name, looking through them. He snarled at the messages between Elena and Aella talking about Stefan. “‘_Stefan is SO hawt! _ ’” Damon mocked,” ‘ _ I know AND he kissed me squeal! _ ’ ‘ _ L8 nite 4 u wi/ hottie Stefan? _’” Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, “Shakespear will be rolling in his grave at what they’ve done to his language,”

Damon brought the keyboard up on the screen and typed back to Elena, still speaking in the mocking girly tone, “‘_**OMG still wi/ him” need 2 speak wi/ u. Can u come 2 Stefan house? **_’”

Damon tossed back the Bourbon and placed the phone back in the backpack, smiled evilly as he went to get ready... he had a show to put on.

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie met up after last class, grabbing some sodas and sitting outside to gossip while catching some rays. They talked about the comet passing over tonight.

“Aella and I spoke to Grams last week, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom,” Bonnie smirked as the rays warmed her skin. Yes, she was up to date with everything magical, but a comet coming from space was most definitely not a sign of doom. “The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity,” 

“Speaking of Aella,” Caroline quizzed, leaning forward. “What time did she come home after the party? When the hell did she and Stefan start dating? And where were they both this afternoon?”

Elena smirked at Caroline, “She came home at like 1 am smiling very happily.”

Caroline clapped gleefully, “Well, that answers questions one and two. What about three?”

Bonnie smirked from her leaned back position, eyes still closed, “They did say they were going to make out in Aella’s car. Maybe things got a little steamier than they both expected?”

“Bonnie!” Elena gasped, giggling, “But it sounds about right.”

Caroline frowned a little, “I’ve been waiting for her to finally get a boyfriend, and now I miss my best friend! Calculus was so boring without her silly comments.”

A phone beeped, and all the girls pulled out their phones, “It’s me,” Elena told them. She smiled, seeing it was Aella but frowned at the message:

**From Aella: ‘OMG still wi/ him need 2 speak wit/ u. Can u come 2 Stefan house?’.**

Aella didn’t usually text her using text speak. She was a classic lover of writing full words rather than shortening them. Now she was doing the complete opposite, including asking _ her _to come to Stefan’s house and not Caroline.

“Is it our terrible best friend?” Caroline teased.

“Yeah,” Elena nodded distractedly rereading the text. “She wants to talk to me and meet her at Stefan’s.”

“You?” Caroline questioned in confusion, but Elena wasn’t offended. While they were all best friends, Caroline and Aella had the closer connection like she and Bonnie had. So the fact that Aella was asking for Elena was strange to all the girls, which was why Bonnie had also sat up straight at hearing her cousin’s text.

“Maybe it’s about Jenna or Jeremy?” Bonnie suggested.

Elena shrugged, drinking the rest of her coke before standing with her bag and coat, “I better go anyway.”

“Text us what she said,” Caroline demanded, her eyes wide.

“I will,” Elena smiled knowingly at her blonde best friend. She could see Caroline was worried why Aella had texted her and not Caroline.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	12. Comparison is the thief of joy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Stefan leaned down and kissed Aella gently, tongue running along her lower lip begging for entrance. They had been kissing and talking all afternoon, more kissing than anything due to Aella’s humor. Talking would quickly turn into either he or Aella laughing from her one-liners, and then they would kiss to stop the laughing. 

Stefan loved being in the moment, he was spending time with the girl he really liked, laughing so hard sometimes he thought he would cry. Aella was so unique that he wanted to keep all to himself, the only person that made him smile more than his usual greeting smiles was Lexi. He was sure if Lexi saw him now, she would be questioning if he had been possessed.

Aella’s mouth eagerly met his hot, needy kiss as she melted into him for the umpteenth time today. Her body felt limp in his arms until he turned her, so she laid over him again. Stefan’s eyes began to change again, and like on the bridge, he pulled back to hide his face, but Aella wasn’t going to let him. This had happened a few times, and she didn’t want him to be ashamed by what he was. 

“No,” she sighed sadly, trying to pull his face to hers. “Don’t hide it, don’t hide you.”

Stefan’s hands ran up along her bare arms and nestled on the base of Aella’s neck, while his temple rested on hers, tilted away from her sight. “It’s not something you should see, it means my body wants to taste you. I’ve done horrible things, I’m a monster.”

Aella involuntarily pressed herself against his body, smiling softly when she saw his face change as he groaned softly, “Hey.” She tried to turn his face again, and this time he let her, and she was able to gaze on his altered face for real this time. She softly kissed his lips before pulling back and whispering to him, “Just because people do horrible things, it doesn’t always mean they’re horrible people.”

Stefan kissed her, she pulled away, holding onto his gaze, “You call yourself a monster?” At his nod, she pecked his lips once more, “Well, monsters are inside all of us, but it’s the choice to let them win that is the real monster... don’t ever let that monster win because you are good, Stefan. IF all you ever want to do is love and protect then you are good, what happened in the past is the past, but you changed, and you have been living in the past for far too long.”

Stefan just stared at her again, and instead of responding to the most beautiful thing someone had said to him in many years, Stefan settled his lips on hers, portraying his feelings with his embrace than with words. 

But in typical Aella form, the brunette pulled back smirking, which nerved Stefan slightly. “And hey, Paul from Twilight was a werewolf, he was considered a monster, and I’d do him over Jacob and Edward any day!”

Stefan laughed and kissed her grinning lips, twisting the witch, so she was on her back, and he was lying on top of her. He groaned softly into her mouth as his ear picked up on someone entering the house, he breathlessly pulled away, turning towards the door with a deep frown. 

“What?” Aella questioned, breathing heavily.

Stefan’s eyes widened when he recognized the presence, “Elena’s here.” 

“What?!” Aella exclaimed, sitting up.

Stefan’s eyes locked on hers, his frown even more prominent, “With Damon.” 

“What the hell!?” Aella jumped off the bed, adjusting her clothes as she ran towards the door, “You’re crazy, happy biting, big brother, Damon?”

When Stefan didn’t answer and instead walked quite speedily out of the door, Aella cursed to herself and ran after her boyfriend to save her best friend from the Devil.

..............................................

..............................................

“-_I’m sure it’ll come up now. Or maybe he didn’t want to tell her because he didn’t want her to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end, _” Aella heard as she ran down the stairs, presuming this was the famous Damon Salvatore.

“Y_ou say it like every relationship is doomed to end, _” Elena stuck up for her and Stefan, which Aella was so grateful for.

“I’m a fatalist. Hello, Stefan,” Damon smirked, turning from Elena to Stefan and Aella as they walked into the sitting room. “And from the giggling I heard upstairs, you must be Aella.”

When Damon looked at Aella, she could see what would draw the ladies towards him; shiny raven hair, razor-sharp cheekbones, and magnetizing cerulean eyes - Damon Salvatore was unquestionably easy on the eyes. Regrettably, the fact he was a cold-blooded vampire that had attacked one of her close friend’s sister, that would put anyone off!

“Hello Damon,” she murmured, stepping around Stefan. “Are you sure your friends aren’t missing you from wherever you crawled from?”

“Wow!” Damon smirked, advancing closer to Aella’s unimpressed form. “Harsh words Aella, I see my brother has been telling you of our relationship.”

Aella smirked back and took a step closer to Damon, ignoring Stefan’s arm pulling hers back, “Well, you can always count on me to be the bitch who gives you a reality check instead of telling you what you want to hear.”

Damon was quiet as he assessed her, a sparkle in his eyes. “I like you,” Damon chuckled, wagging his finger at her as he looked to Stefan. “I like her, Stefan. So much like you’re ex.”

Aella chuckled without humor, wondering just when Damon would bring up the She-Devil. “You know Damon, Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ I’m _ nothing _ like Katherine.” At Damon’s raised eyebrow, she smirked at him, “Yeah, Stefan told me _ all _about Katherine, so don’t think for a moment you have the upper hand.”

She looked past Damon to Elena, who was staring at the three of them, perplexed, “What are you doing here, E?”

Elena’s brow raised, “You text me asking me to come here to tell me something?” 

Aella frowned, “I didn’t...” As she paused, she looked over to an openly smirking Damon. “...I mean, oh yeah! Totally spaced. I... Um...-”

“-Aella wanted to talk to you about Jenna’s meeting with Tanner to know how it went,” Stefan jumped in, helping Aella once he saw Damon’s smirk. 

“Yes!” Aella pointed to Stefan, smiling gratefully at him as he moved to her side. “I wanted to know if you had any word from Jenna and see if they wanted takeout?”

“Okay,” Elena hesitantly nodded, still confused at why she had to come all the way out here when Aella could have picked her up. Yet, from the smugness on Damon’s face, it seemed like things were not as simple as Aella made out.

“Well, we better get on that,” Aella declared, smiling tightly as she turned to Stefan. “I’ll see you tonight at 8pm?”

“At the Grill,” Stefan confirmed, kissing her lips goodbye.

“See you then,” she nodded and looked to Damon. “It was nice to put a face to a name, Damon.”

“My exact thoughts Aella,” Damon snarked in return. “Have fun watching the comet, you too, Elena.

Elena nodded, heading towards Aella, who immediately put her in front of her, and Aella pushed her forward, grabbing her bag from Zach’s desk as they left the Salvatore Boarding House.

“Great gal,” Damon laughed, hearing Aella’s red car speed off. “Whoo. She’s got spunk!”

“How long was Elena here?” Stefan questioned, arms folded.

“Were you worried, Stefan?” Damon smirked, walking over to his Bourbon. “Scared I might tell your plaything’s best friend the truth? Isn’t that why you play your little game, ‘I’m a high school human?’”

“I’m not playing any game,” Stefan stated. “And don’t call Aella a plaything.”

“Of course you are.” Damon smugly grinned, taking a sip of his Bourbon. “We both know the closest you’ll ever get to humanity is when you rip it open and feed on it. Not with Aella.”

The two brothers stared each other down, “What kind of game are you playing, Damon?”

Damon gulped down the rest of his drink and strutted out the room, calling over his shoulder, “Guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?”

**GILBERT HOUSE **

“Hey,” Jenna greeted Jeremy as he walked into the kitchen. “I was going to make Tacos but then didn’t bother, I feel in such a good mood I craved something greasy.”

“Oh, really?” Jeremy laughed, sitting down on the opposite stool as Jenna put away the groceries. “And why are you in such a great mood?”

Jenna smiled brightly at him, “I Tanner’ ed Tanner!”

“What?!” Jeremy laughed, taking one of the loose apples she bought and taking a bite. “How?”

“Who do you think?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

Jeremy simply shook his head, “Aella?”

“How did you know?”

Jeremy shrugged, swallowing the apple piece, “If there is one person on this earth that can out Tanner, Tanner; its Aella.”

“Yeah,” Jenna laughed, nodding, and eating a carrot stick. “I guessed that when the first thing Aella told me to do made a twitch start in his eye.”

Jeremy smirked as he finished his apple standing up to throw it in the bin, his eyes glanced to her, and Jenna could see he wanted to ask her something but was dawdling, “What?”

Jeremy looked away as he returned to his seat, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Exactly,” Jenna nodded, not believing him for a second. She walked around the island to sit next to him, “What do you need to ask me or tell me?”

Jeremy’s lip quirked, “Aella’s got you trained.”

Jenna shivered, “Way to well! That girl has turned me into my mother!”

Jeremy smiled gently at her, “She’s helped you become my cool Aunt, who trusts us and is not turning into my fake mom that has no clue what she’s doing.”

“I like that!” Jenna smiled proudly, happy he was so open with her. “You’ve now complimented me; what do you want or what have you done?”

Jeremy smiled hesitantly at her, “Do you mind taking me to visit Vicki? I wasn’t able to see her this morning.”

“Absolutely,” Jenna happily smiled, standing up. “I’m glad you asked me to take you.”

**MYSTIC FALLS HOSPITAL **

Jeremy knocked on the hospital door with Jenna standing next to him, “Hey. How do you feel?”

“I’m okay,” Vicky replied, confused why he and Jenna were here. Last time she spoke to Jeremy, he didn’t have the best relationship with his new guardian.

“Hey, Vicki,” Jenna waved. She then looked at Matt. “Hey Matt, mind showing me where I can get some good coffee?”

“Yeah, sure,” Matt nodded, standing up from the chair beside Vicki. “Not sure I can guarantee it's good.”

Jenna smirked, “I’m not as picky as Aella.”

Matt laughed, following her outside, “Nobody’s pickier about their coffee than Aella.”

Vicki listened as Matt and Jenna’s conversation became quieter, “Why are you here? Why are you with Jenna?”

“Jenna’s okay when she realized I don’t need another Mom; I just need someone to be there,” Jeremy shrugged, taking a seat on the empty plastic chair. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Did you see that look on Matt’s face? That was suspicion. I don’t want people to find out about us, Jeremy,” Vicki told him uncomfortably.

“Well, you gotta get over that,” Jeremy shrugged.

“Tyler is finally showing some interest.”

Jeremy laughed without humor, “You have to get over that, too. Do you see Mr. Concerned? Tyler would rather flirt with other girls at school then come and see you or show the slightest bit of interest.”

Vicki glared at him, she knew this was the truth, but she didn’t have to like it, “It’s not cool for people to know. Okay? I’m older than you, and Matt and Elena would freak. Aella would kill me!”

“Lia would not kill you,” Jeremy laughed. “Elena and Matt wouldn’t care anyway, why wouldn’t I check on you? I mean, I’m the one who found you.”

“You are?” She asked, shocked, no one had told her that.

“Yeah,” He smirked. “I carried you out of the woods, and Aella slowed down the bleeding. Matt said you’d be in here a lot longer if she didn’t.”

“Yeah,” Vicki smiled appreciatively at him. “They’re letting me out when the doctor comes round in the next hour, thank you.”

“Yeah?” Jeremy asked and smiled at her nod. “You’re welcome. Maybe you could come to watch the comet with us? We’re all gathering at Eight at the Grill?”

“Um...Yeah, sure,” She nodded, smiling softly at him. “I’d like that.”

“Great!” Jeremy beamed, he stood up and walked out without looking back at her. If he did, he would have seen her smiling brightly, with a slight blush to her pale cheeks.

When Jeremy saw Jenna standing near the vending machine, giving Matt a well-deserved comfort hug, he realized Aella and Tanner must have really given Jenna food for thought. He purposely skidded his foot to make a loud sound, keeping his head down so Matt wouldn’t think he saw anything, especially when Matt quickly wiped his eyes.

“Hey!” Jenna greeted, drawing attention to her, “All good?”

“All good,” he nodded.

“Great,” Jenna nodded, throwing her coffee away. “That coffee is horrible, I was thinking of pizza for dinner?”

“Sounds good,” he nodded again, trying to hide the bright smile on his face.

Jenna nodded and wrapped her around his shoulder, “Let’s go get pizza!” She looked at Matt, “You want to join us, Matt?”

Matt smiled politely at her, “Vick’s getting released soon, so I need to hang around here.”

“Cool,” she nodded. “Well, if you get out in the next hour, the invitation is open for two.”

“Thanks, Jenna.”

Jenna winked at him before she nudged Jeremy to start walking, “Can you text Lia and Elena to let them know we’re getting pizza?”

“Sure,” he nodded, getting his phone out and texting the two, not bothered by her arm around his shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	13. I Tanner'ed Tanner!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**GILBERT HOUSE ** **  
**  
****

“So, Damon is Stefan’s angry older brother, with this huge chip on his shoulder?” Elena asked with a raised brow as Aella filled four sodas ready for when Jenna and Jeremy arrived with the pizza.

On the drive home, they had talked about Stefan, Elena’s awkward conversation with Caroline about quitting the cheerleading team, and Jeremy. When they finally arrived home, Elena had gotten the plates and napkins out while Aella dealt with the drinks.

“Basically,” Aella shrugged, bringing two glasses over. “They have a horrible history that Stefan only just scratched the surface about.”

She grabbed the last two, placing them down on the table and sat down opposite Elena, “What happened?”

Aella only quirked a brow, “Typical brother falling out.”

Elena smirked, “A girl, maybe?”

Aella faked shock, “How did you guess?” Aella chuckled with Elena taking a sip of her coke, “Her name was Katherine and was a massive bitch that liked to sleep with both brothers at the same time.”

“Damon mentioned something like that,” Elena frowned, taking a sip of her own coke. “But he did say that she was Stefan’s ex.”

“Try Damon _ and _Stefan’s ex, Stefan told me some more-”

“**-Pizza!**” Jeremy interrupted Aella as he walked in the door.

“And garlic bread!” Jenna announced, holding the pie aloft as she walked in.

“Yum!” Aella declared standing and taking the pizza from Jeremy, “Grease and more grease for dinner, yummy!”

Jenna laughed, walking over and placing the box in the middle of the table, “Healthy Guardian, I am.”

“Bad Yoda impression you have, but great guardian you are,” Aella grinned, munching on the Meaty Feast pizza slice.

“Well, this Guardian just Tanner’ ed Tanner,” Jeremy boasted, sitting and taking a slice of pizza.

“**What?!**” Elena and Aella gasped through bites.

“I did. I did,” Jenna smiled proudly as she walked over to Aella, placing her hands on her shoulders and squeezing them appreciatively. “Thanks to this girl right here, her prepping me this morning helped so I wouldn’t buckle under the Tanner stare.”

“Thank you,” Aella mock bowed from her seat. “I’m available for consultations whenever I’m home.”

Elena grinned at her crazy best friend looking at Jenna, as she sat down with her own slice, “So, what happened?”

Jenna smiled smugly, finishing off her first bite, “Not happy Jeremy was skipping. So, I asked him which classes he was skipping, and he choked up not expecting the question... not expecting _ any _ questions to be honest. We argued, and I warned him if he doesn’t give you three a break and get rid of that god _ awful _file, I would be bringing my lawyers in.”

The three teenagers applauded Jenna as she swallowed the last bite of her pizza proudly. 

“Jenna, you are officially a goddess!” Aella announced, taking a piece of garlic bread.

“Goddess?” Jeremy scoffed around his pizza, “She took down my enemy, she is _ the _God!”

“So, fess up,” Jenna smugly turned to Aella. “Who’s this guy I hear about?”

“So, Elena quit the cheerleading team,” Aella tried to avert the subject. Still, when Jenna gave her a knowing look, Aella groaned loudly as Elena and Jeremy chuckled. “Not you too! Who told you?”

“Caroline, of course,” Jenna shrugged casually as if it was normal for her to be texting Caroline about Aella’s new boyfriend. “She wanted the 411 on the boy that has been distracting you from her. Tut, tut Aella Bennett.”

“I’m gonna kill Caroline,” Aella grumbled, mouth full of pizza.

“Well, according to his pain-in-the-ass older, jealous brother,” Elena smirked over at Aella. “Stefan is on the rebound and has raging family issues.”

“Stefan, huh? Well, at least it’s an ex-girlfriend,” Jenna shrugged, sipping her coke. “Wait till you date a guy with mommy issues or cheating issues.” She frowned to herself, “Or amphetamine issues.”

“Amphetamines?” Aella danced her eyebrows at Jeremy, trying to draw the attention from her, “Could be someone we know very well, huh Jer?”

“Oh, ha-ha,” Jeremy replied dryly, kicking Aella lightly under the table. She raised her feet as she avoided his kicks, “Bitch.”

“Jerk,” she snorted back her mouth full of Garlic Bread.

“Grounded!” Jenna chimed in. “You’re all grounded if you get any food on my floor!” Hitting them both with the empty pizza box.

“Parental authority,” Jeremy smirked, as he dodged the hit. “I like it.”

“Get out of here,” Jenna smiled at him, hitting him with the box again. “Don’t you have a big rock to watch?”

The three teens groaned at her terminology, “Comet, Aunt Jenna.” Elena cried as they all got up, “It hasn’t been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years!”

Aella snorted, placing her plate in the sink, “Someone listened to Tanner a bit too much.”

Elena hit her in offense, “At least I was in class this afternoon, where were you?”

“Excuse me!” Exclaimed, Jenna still sat at the table.

“Nothing!” Both girls sang back to her as Aella glared and Elena smiled brightly.

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Switching up her unicorn top for a grey and black asymmetrical pullover and green jacket for the comet, Aella, Elena, and Jeremy made their way into the Grill waiting for their companions.

She was leaning against the bar waiting for their drinks when two hands covered her eyes, “That better be my boyfriend or my pointy brown boots will be going up your ass!”

When the stranger chuckled huskily, Aella relaxed back into her boyfriend’s body, “Mmhm, has it only been three hours?”

Stefan turned her around, placing his arms around her waist under her green jacket and resting his forehead against hers, “Three hours too long.”

Aella nodded slightly before connecting their lips quickly, it was hard at first to join their mouths because they were both smiling so hard. Their teeth clinked together, which had her giggling while Stefan just shushed her, “I’m trying to kiss you, woman.”

Finally, they were able to kiss, he pecked her lips a few more times before pulling back, “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“_Um, hello! _”

Aella groaned at her best friend’s voice as they both turned to see Caroline stood there, a basket full of candles, arms crossed and hip stuck out as she raised her eyebrows at the two, “Stefan, you may be my best friend's boyfriend. But you will learn very quickly that her main priority will always be me. Me, and helping both of our college résumés look full of volunteer work that the school has asked _ me _ to do, so we can attend college _ together _!”

Stefan smirked, as Aella tried to hide her snorts, “Yes, Caroline.”

“Aella Bennett, I am serious!” Caroline stamped her foot, “You will always be my number one priority, and I will always be yours.”

Aella realized that Caroline was generally hurt by how much time she had spent with Stefan than her. Stepping forward, she pulled Caroline into a firm hug, smiling when Caroline squeezed her back, just as hard. She didn’t even whine when the basket Caroline was holding dug into her back. 

“Caroline Forbes,” Aella whispered into the blonde’s ear. “You are my best friend in the entire world, you are my sister, my person and will always be my number one priority, okay?”

Caroline held her for a few more moments before she nodded, “Okay.”

“Good,” Aella nodded, stroking her hair. “Now, can you get that bitch of a basket out of my back before you slice me in half!”

“Huh? Oh!” Caroline pulled back, blushing at the basket, quickly wiping her tears.

Aella smirked, putting her arm around the blonde’s shoulders, “Now let’s use my boyfriend to boost _ our _college résumés and pass out these candles.”

She looked back at Stefan, holding back her free hand, “Do_ I _ get a say in this?” He asked, taking hold of her hand.

“**No**,” the two best friends chimed together as Aella pulled a smirking Stefan with her.

Jeremy saw everyone gathered near the back of the Grill and looked for Vicki, hoping she wouldn’t stand him up. When he finally saw her blonde head at the kitchen, obviously arguing with someone, he stepped over to her. “Hey Vicki,” he greeted her. “You made it.”

Vicki shrugged, walking closer to him and shrugged nonchalantly, “Couldn’t let you have all the fun watching the comet.”

Jeremy smiled brightly at her and then nodded to the kitchen, “And the arguing?”

Vicki glared at the kitchen, “Fighting with Robert about my schedule. You’d think getting ripped up by a rabid animal would merit an extra sick day.”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I hurt,” she shrugged and smiled slightly at him. “But they gave me the kid stuff after Matt told them about my habit.”

Jeremy frowned at her smile, “Then why are you smiling at that?”

“Because someone told me life isn’t about drugs,” she smiled, stepping close to him. “And I thought I’d try that motto for now on.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she smiled, placing her arms around his neck, not caring who saw and then kissed him.

“_Vicki _?”

Vicki and Jeremy pulled away to be confronted by the obviously confused Tyler, “What the hell are you doing with him?”

Vicki scoffed, taking hold of Jeremy’s hand and leading him past Tyler, “Like you care!”

Jeremy saluted Tyler as they went past smiling at his glaring face as she led them over to their group.

They just reached the group when Aella stood up, smiling brightly, “You are all now our monkeys and will hand out candles to everyone without.” She handed each person enough candles for them to hold.

“What Aella means,” Caroline stood next to her, handing out lighters as well. “Is that _ we would like you to help _ to hand out candles.”

“Yeah, what she said,” Aella shrugged, distracted as she tried to hold five candles in each hand and then reach down with her mouth to grab the lighter.

Stefan snorted, taking the lighter from her lips and two candles from each hand, “Let me help you out there.”

“I had it!” She pouted, but at Stefan’s look, she pouted. “Okay, I didn’t have it.”

“C’mon Edward Candlehands,” he smiled, placing the candles in her large pocket and taking her free hand. 

“Ooh, I like that reference,” Aella beamed, eyes sparkling as Stefan pulled her out the bar.

**MYSTIC FALLS TOWN SQUARE**

As they all stepped outside, the group separated and went in different directions, handing out candles and lighting them as they did so. 

When they were all finishing up, Caroline had just handed out her last candle when she saw the guy from the bar staring at her. Quickly looking behind her to make sure it was her he was looking at when she turned back he was gone. Frowning, she walked in the direction he was standing, spinning around as she looked where he could have gone. When Caroline realized he wasn’t coming back, she sighed in frustration and walked to the bench they were all going to meet at.

As she walked up, she saw Aella and Stefan sat on the large rock near the bench, Aella sat between his legs as he whispered into her ear. Caroline was jealous. She could admit that... Not for the fact, a good looking guy had not looked at her, but that her best friend’s time was now being taken up by someone else. Although she had to admit, as Aella laughed out loud, they looked cute together, and Aella was smiling more than ever.

“You know, that comet... it’s been traveling across space for thousands of years. All alone,” Stefan told Aella as they looked up at the comet in the sky.

“Bonnie says it’s a harbinger of evil,” Caroline said, casually jumping on the rock with them.

Aella snorted, pulling Caroline into her side, “What?”

Stefan shook his head, “I think it’s just a ball of... snow and ice, trapped on a path that it can’t escape. And once every 145 years, it gets to come home.”

“I think I prefer that one,” Aella mumbled to Caroline.

Caroline nodded, “Me too.”

Eventually, the entire group made their way over, and they all watched the comet flying above them. As Aella’s eyes drifted down from the comet, she watched Vicki gently take Jeremy’s hand in her own slowly, obviously not used to public affection. Unconsciously, Aella squeezed the hand that held Stefan’s in comfort, grinning when he pressed back.

He leaned forward, “You comfy enough?”

At her nod, Stefan pulled her closer, chuckling to himself when Caroline followed leaning against his other knee. He knew then that Caroline was going to be in his life just as much as Aella. 

Vicki stood and wiped her jeans, she looked down at a confused Jeremy, “I’m just going to go to the bathroom.”

Jeremy nodded and motioned to the sky, “I don’t think you’re going to miss anything?”

She chuckled and made the walk back to the Grill.

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Vicki entered the Grill and headed for the toilets when she saw a black-haired guy standing at the bar staring at her. Altering her path, she made her way over to him, feeling something not right, “I know you.”

Blurs of faces and places filled her thoughts as she stood before him.

“Well, that’s unfortunate,” Damon said, looking down at his drink. 

“Um... I don’t... I don’t know-how,” Vicki stuttered, and Damon frowned back at her. “...but... your face. Excuse me. Sorry.”

She practically ran to the women’s restroom frowning as the blurs continued to go through her mind. What was it that made him so enthralling?

Checking her bandage in the mirror, Vicki splashed water on her face to remove from the slight sweat that had developed from the confrontation she just had. When Vicki looked up again, the guy from the bar was behind her. As he lunged towards her, his face changed, and Vicki’s scream reverberated around the bathroom at the monstrous image before. 

..............................................  
..............................................   
  


The group had now migrated back into The Grill when they realized that the comet wasn’t going to change much if they gathered in the Grill, while it was quiet.

Jeremy had waited by the rock for a few more minutes just in case Vicki missed the group as she came outside, Aella had said she would text him should she show up with the group. 

Five minutes later, he realized that something wasn’t right and made his way to the restrooms in the Grill. He waited outside the girl’s bathroom for a few more minutes before he realized no one was coming out.

“Vick?” He hesitantly opened the door, calling out her name into the room. When she didn’t respond, he started to panic a little.

Jeremy knew his face was showing panic as he walked up to the group because Aella jumped from her seat next to Stefan and made her way to him immediately. “Are you okay?”

“No,” he shook his head. “I can’t find Vicki anywhere, have you seen her?” When she shook her head negativity, he walked to the table, “Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?”

Tyler scoffed, “You’re her stalker. You tell us.”

“Be serious, Tyler,” Aella warned, walking to her former spot, between Matt and Caroline and in front of Stefan. She looked at Matt, worry upon her face, “He can’t find Vick.”

Matt frowned, knowing Aella wouldn’t worry him like this unless it was needed. Although Tyler, with his jealousy, ignored the worry and tried to stir the pot, “She probably found somebody else to party with. Sorry, River Phoenix, I guess you’ve been replaced.”

“Enough, Tyler!” Aella warned, moving closer to the table and Tyler, “You’re just pissy because Vicki chose him and not you.”

Tyler chose to ignore her to inflate his own ego, “She’s never gonna go for you.”

Aella rolled her eyes as Jeremy smirked, “She already did. Over and over and over again.”

“Yeah, right,” Tyler scoffed again.

“I know he did,” Aella stuck up for her adopted brother then grimaced. “I totally saw them doing the walk of shame in the mornings, ugh!”

“You slept with Vicki Donovan?” Caroline blurted out, mouth wide open, “I mean, Vicki Donovan slept with _ you _?”

“Believe me,” Aella felt sick at the memories. “If I could bleach my eyes, I would.”

“You know what,” Matt interrupted them all scowling at Tyler. “How about all of you shut up and help me find my sister?”

“We’ll check the back,” Bonnie volunteered her and Caroline.

“I’ll check the square,” Matt said, smiling in thanks to the girls.

Aella touched his arm, “Stefan, and I will help you there, it’s too big by yourself, especially with the crowd.” 

She looked back to her boyfriend, who immediately nodded, “Yeah, man. Six eyes are better than two.” Matt smiled gratefully at Stefan, and they looked to the rest of the group.

“I’ll check the areas where all the people are standing,” Jeremy decided, and Elena moved next to him, “I’ll go with you.”

They all looked to Tyler who hadn’t said anything yet, he rolled his eyes, “I’ll check around the square in all the alleyways.”

They all nodded and started going to their designated spots, each with their phones and a group chat open, should anyone find Vicki. 

**TOWN SQUARE**

Walking behind Matt, Aella looked up to Stefan, “Don’t you think this is a bit suspicious that you did that thing today, and now Vicki is missing?”

Stefan nodded, “I was thinking the same thing.”

“Where’s Damon?”

“I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Aella nodded as they reached the square. “Not exactly the words I wanted to hear, but if you do hear anything, just go, don’t worry about me.”

Stefan nodded and kissed her braided hair before they split up, looking around the courtyard. Stefan had just started looking when he heard familiar screams, “** _No! No!_ **”

He ran to the building and looked around to make sure the coast was clear before he jumped up on top.

“Shh, I’m not gonna drop you,” Damon assured her, pulling her on the ledge. He then heard Stefan and spoke to him while looking at Vicki. “Not bad. Have you been eating bunnies?”

“Let her go.”

“Shh. Really? Okay,” Damon then pulled on Vicki some more, and Stefan ran towards her as she teetered on the edge.

“**No**!” They both shouted.

Damon laughed, throwing her to Stefan, “Ugh! Relax.” And Stefan realized then that Damon wasn’t playing around; he was showing Stefan precisely what he could do, something that worried Stefan.

Aella looked back to Stefan when she saw he was missing, and she knew he must have heard or seen something. She looked around, purposely studying the top of the buildings, when she felt something. What? She couldn’t tell, it was just a feeling, a dark feeling. Her eyes narrowed along the top of the buildings, the feeling growing stronger and stronger when she saw three spots in the distance and knew she had to get Matt away from this area.

She ran over to the blonde and took his arm, “Matt, some people said they may have seen Vick down near the Grill just a few minutes ago.”

“Okay,” Matt nodded, looking in that direction immediately.

“I’ll stay here just in case,” she suggested. “You go look in that area and tell the group.”

Matt nodded again, still looked stressed, and Aella took his hand this time, squeezing it, “We’ll find her Matt, I promise.”

He squeezed back and kissed her cheek, “Thanks, Lia.”

“Go,” she shooed him and watched him run off. 

She ran towards the building, the dots becoming more evident as she drew closer, she could see the two vampires and Vicki. She turned on the spot to go around the back of the building when she bumped into someone, sending them both to the floor. Aella jumped up and held her hand out to the girl on the floor. “I am so sorry!”

The girl ignored her hand and got up herself, wiping the dirt off her clothes, “It’s no problem.”

“I’m such a klutz,” Aella shrugged, feeling awful, but the girl just waved her off. “Really, it’s fine.”

Aella looked to the girl taking a moment to see if she knew her face, “I’m Aella Bennett, are you new here?”

The girl nodded, and Aella was so embarrassed by what had just happened; she missed the gleam in the girl’s eyes, “I’m Anna, my mother, and I just moved here.”

Aella smiled, “Oh, well, welcome to Mystic Falls.”

“Thank you,” Anna smiled and immediately recognized the last name she had. “Aella _ Bennett_, you say?”

Aella nodded a little slower, a little confused, “Yeah.”

Anna just smiled, not detailing why she found Aella’s surname of interest, “Anyway, I must be going.”

“Yeah,” Aella nodded, now a little suspicious. “Sorry again.”

“It’s no problem, really,” Anna waved off and started walking away.

Aella watched after her for a moment when she looked to the roof she last saw Stefan but now couldn’t see any of them, she headed to that building hoping they were still there.

As Aella ran away, Anna watched after her, a smirk now taking place upon her face. She had seen Stefan kissing the brunette, and now she knew exactly who she was, a Bennett. Was she also a witch? She didn’t know, but she would definitely be using this information to her advantage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	14. Surprise!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

Damon now held Vicki’s head looking into her eyes, “Stefan Salvatore did this to you.”

“Stefan Salvatore did this to me,” Vicki repeated back to him.

“He’s a vampire,” Damon smirked. “A vicious, murderous monster.”

Aella ran to the building, she saw the three figures on it and looked up. She knew somehow she could use her air magic to allow the sound to travel to her, but she hadn’t practiced that and didn’t think now was the time. Instead, she recalled a spell she saw in her grandmother’s Grimoire, “_ Soat sunt soni quidam errantes audiente me sic procul _ _ . _”

Instantly, it was like she was on the roof with the three of them, and her stomach twisted when she heard her boyfriend begging Damon, “_ Please, Damon, Please don’t do this. _”

“_If you couldn’t fix it before, I don’t know what you can do now. _”

Aella heard something rip, and Vicki screamed in agony, “_Aah! _”

“_Ugh, _ ” Damon spat. “Y_our choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks are nothing compared to the power you could have, which you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that. _”

Aella frowned, Stefan had told her of him drinking animal blood, but she didn’t know it made him so much weaker than if he drank human blood. Wasn’t blood, just blood?

“_You have two choices, _ ” Damon started talking again. This guy really liked the sound of his own voice. “_You can feed and make her forget. Or you can let her run, screaming ‘ _**_vampire_ '**_ through the town square. _”

“That’s_ what this is about? You want to expose me? _”

“_No! I want you to remember who you are! _”

“_Why? So what, so I’ll feed? So I’ll kill? So I’ll remember what it’s like to be brothers again? You know what, let her go. Let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart because at least I’ll be free of you. _”

Aella wanted to throw Damon off the roof and ground her teeth in anger as he continued to bully and belittle Stefan.

Stefan glared at his brother when suddenly Damon fell back a bit towards the edge of the building. Damon looked to Stefan immediately in alarm, “What was that?”

Stefan shook his head, but he knew it was, and from the scent coming from the stairs on the side of the building, he knew it was Aella, he just didn’t know how if she wasn’t facing Damon.

Damon shook the incident off and instead concentrated on Vicki, “Huh. Wow. Come here, sweetheart.”

“No!” She sobbed, stepping backward towards Stefan.

“It’s okay.” Damon nodded and pulled Vicki towards him, gently stopping at her ear rather than her neck and whispering in her ear. 

Damon soon pushed Vicki towards Stefan and sped away. “What happened? Where am I?” Vicki suddenly asked, very confused and then felt something wet on her neck, “Oh, I ripped my stitches open. Ugh...” 

“You okay?” Stefan cautiously asked.

Vicki nodded, looking around where she stood before she stumbled over to the stairs. 

Aella noticed the noise of someone using the side stairs, and when she saw Vicki coming down alive, she breathed a sigh of relief. She went to the start of the stairs and took Vicki’s hand, “Thank God you’re okay, Vick.”

“What?” Vicki questioned, disoriented, stumbling into Aella’s body.

“You went missing,” Aella reminded her. “I just found you here.”

“Did you?” Vicki looked around bewildered, and Aella realized Damon must have really done a number on her. “Thank you, I guess.”

Aella shook her head, taking hold of Vicki and starting the walk back to the Grill at a slow pace, “It’s no problem.”

Vicki frowned, looking at the shorter girl, “I think you’re just being nice.”

Aella snorted, “I think if you ask around, you’ll discover that’s unlikely.”

Vicki grinned and leaned closer to Aella, feeling weaker than ever. Aella started struggling with Vicki halfway. Suddenly, Vicki’s weight was gone, and she looked to the other side of Vicki to see Stefan holding up the girl.

“Stefan,” she sighed in relief at seeing her boyfriend. “Are you okay?” 

Stefan nodded, but Aella could see he wasn’t honest, but she didn’t push; she knew that it would be better to talk when no one was around.

  
**MYSTIC GRILL **

When they got inside the Grill, Matt quickly grabbed Vicki and a first aid kit, sitting Vicki down as Aella and Stefan made their way to a booth near their group. Bonnie and Caroline were already seated on one side, so Stefan stepped in first, and Aella crawled onto the bench seat before falling into Stefan with a massive sigh.

“Well, that was an exhausting night,” she sighed, smiling when Stefan lifted her up with ease and rested her between his legs again. They were soon figuring out this was their go-to position.

“Ugh, it’s just so much drama. I never realized how much Vicki was such an attention whore?” Caroline shockingly told them which had them all chuckling as quiet as they could.

Matt helped Vicki with her bandage; once that was done, he made his way over to Aella and Stefan, “Hey guys.” He greeted, drawing their attention to him, “Vick said you found her wandering around?”

Aella looked up at Stefan from her laid down position on him, and he answered for the both of them, “Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

They both smiled at him, and he walked back over to Vicki, who now sat with Tyler. The four watched as Tyler moved closer to Vicki and then started kissing her, with her kissing him back. Even worse, Jeremy had just walked in after hearing about Vicki.

“Harsh,” Bonnie sighed, seeing the look on Jeremy’s face.

Aella sighed, wanting to go up and punch Tyler and hug Jeremy, but she knew he wouldn’t like that. Stefan rubbed her arm and leaned down to her, “Want to get out of here and watch the comet at mine?”

Aella nodded and slid out the booth, walking around to her best friend and cousin, hugging them goodnight. When Aella hugged Caroline, she whispered in the blonde’s ear, “Goodnight number one.”

Caroline laughed in her ear and squeezed back, “Goodnight, number on.”

Aella took Stefan’s open hand and squeezed it, pulling his arm towards and wrapping both her arms around that. They waved everyone goodnight to everyone and headed to Aella’s car, Aella handing the keys to Stefan.

Once the new couple left, everyone else seemed to filter out too. Jeremy went home with Elena, getting a ride from Bonnie. Vicki left with Matt and Tyler while Caroline finished off her drink.

As Caroline walked to her car, she heard a noise and stopped what she was doing, she glanced around, and when she saw nothing, she continued on. She got to her car but dropped her keys, grabbing them and standing up. When she turned back to her car, Damon was in front of her leaning against her car.

“Oh... whoa!”

“Sorry,” Damon apologized, holding his hands up. “Didn’t mean to scare you. 

“No, it’s fine,” she smiled at him. “Um... I was hoping I’d see you again.”

“I know,” he smiled smugly at her.

Caroline laughed, raising an eyebrow, “Cocky much?”

“Very much.”

**SALVATORE HOUSE**

Stefan’s hands ran down her sides until they landed on her ass, and he squeezed lightly, “Up.” They had watched the comet fly over the house and now was time for some fun.

It was so easy for her to leap up into his arms, and he clutched Aella tightly to him as their lips finally connected in an intense kiss. She wasn’t feeling exhausted anymore as she felt him beneath her as he turned them back towards the bed. Swiftly she was flat on her back, and he was hovering over her, Aella stared up at him, breaths coming in gasps as he panted down at her. He leaned down to press kisses down along her jaw, nipping at her delicate skin as he went. 

Stefan let his hands trail down her sides, gently squeezing at her hips until he was firmly squeezing at her butt as he pulled Aella against him. She squealed as he held her tightly against him, towering over her smaller frame as he nudged at her nose until he could reach Aella’s lips when suddenly she yawned.

Aella started giggling as Stefan groaned, dropping his forehead to hers, “Okay,” he pulled away, pulling off his top. “We need to get you into some clothes.”

“Ooh la la,” Aella smirked, admiring his beautiful body. He threw the shirt at her, the article of clothing landing on her head, and sent her into giggles.

“Do you want some water before you go to sleep?” He asked, walking to the door.

“Yes, please,” she smiled wide, standing up and pulling off her boots.

Stefan nodded and walked down to the kitchen at an average pace, he tried listening for Damon, but he couldn’t hear his brother, which nerved him. When he was pouring the water, he could hear Aella cursing as she fell with a ‘bang’ taking off her trousers, he presumed. However, the same could have happened when taking off a necklace, knowing Aella.

When he returned to his room, she had fallen asleep already on top of his covers. She had chosen to wear his shirt and underwear only, a sight that had Stefan stirring in his jeans. He walked over to her, pulling the covers from under her and tucking her in. He took his jeans off, climbed into bed with just his boxers on, pulled the covers over him, and snuggled closer to Aella. Automatically she adjusted herself, so she was curled up in his arms and had a sleepy smile on her face.

“Night Dracula.”

Stefan smirked, kissing her head, “Night Sabrina.”

..............................................

..............................................

_ Aella knew she was in a vision again, even from the safety of Stefan’s arms, she was still invaded by a vision. When she looked around, she noticed she was in Caroline’s house, a house she knew as good as hers. Stumbling through the house, she wondered to herself why she was here? _

_ A loud moan filled the house that made even sleepy Aella smirk, and her feet, against her wishes, moved towards the sound. _

_ Moving down the corridor, the moans grew louder and louder until she was standing outside Caroline’s door. Looking down the hallway, she could see Liz’s room open, meaning the Sheriff was still working. _

_ Opening the door, Aella looked in, against her will, to see her best friend laid in bed in just her bra and panties as a raven-haired man kissed his way up her stomach. _

_ Just from the hair, Aella knew who it was, and she felt a kind of fear she had never felt before, quickly she waved her hand to throw him off her friend, but her magic did work in her visual world. Damon looked up as Caroline writhed in ecstasy, he smirked evilly, “No!” Aella cried, trying to move, but her feet felt like they were encased in concrete. “No, Caroline! Runaway!” _

_ Damon’s face changed similar to the one Stefan was so hesitant to share with her, only Damon’s looked different from Stefan’s; he looked evil. _

_ He opened his mouth wide and bit into her best friend’s stomach, making her cry out in agony as Aella screamed from her own pain of watching. “Nooooo-” _

“**-Nooooooo!**” Aella shot up screaming and crying surprising Stefan, who quickly grabbed her in his arms.

“Shush, I got you,” he repeated against her head as her tears fell on his bare chest.

“Caroline,” she sobbed against his chest. “Oh, Caroline.”

“Aella,” Stefan nudged her as her sobs settled into quiet cries. “What happened?”

She wiped her tears and pulled back slightly. Still, Stefan stroked her cheek in a comforting motion, “I have these dreams, they can turn into visions. There’s always this difference, it’s hard to explain... They just feel different.”

“And this one did?”

“Yes,” she nodded, her green eyes started filling with tears. “It felt so real, and I could do nothi-” she paused and looked up at Stefan, eyes wide. “She was with Damon, oh my god, I think she’s in trouble.”

She jumped out of Stefan’s arms and ran to her jeans resting on the chair, as he pulled his jeans on, not for a second thinking she was crazy. He knew plenty of witches who had premonitions. Obviously, Aella’s had not grown through them correctly yet, or she would be able to tell the difference from a vision and a dream. 

She pulled Stefan’s shirt off, throwing it at him, which he caught with ease, and pulled her own top on. She grabbed her keys and ran out, not even bothering to put her boots on.

Stefan sped down the stairs and stopped her just as she reached her car, she looked up at him in protest, but he only took the keys from her, “I’ll drive, you direct.”

Aella didn’t bother to answer and instead ran to the other side of her car, jumping in. Stefan didn’t waste time and put his foot on the gas pedal, the wheels skidding as the car shot forward.

“Tell me what happened?” He asked her after she directed him right.

Aella bit at her lip, a nervous habit she hated, but never noticed until they were sore after. “Caroline was lying in bed, and Damon was on top of her, she only had her underwear on. Turn left here. Then his face changed, and he bit down on her stomach. Turn right here.”

Aella shook her head as the tears started to fall again, pulling at the loose hair that had freed itself from the French plait she had been sleeping in. “She was so scared, and I need to make sure she doesn’t get scared, I have to protect her. She’s my num-” her voice broke, and Stefan finished her sentence for her.

“-Number One,” Stefan smiled at her, taking her hand. “I heard.

Aella squeezed his hand back then looked back at the road directing him, “Take the next right here, and the first left and Caroline house should have her car parked in front.”

**FORBES HOUSE**

When Stefan saw Caroline’s car, he pulled up to the house, and Aella was running out of the car before it had even stopped. She slammed open the door and ran to Caroline’s room just as the same scream from her vision rang in her ears, “**Caroline!**”

She slammed open Caroline’s door, and Damon looked up growling, speeding towards her as he stared into her eyes, “You didn’t see this, Caroline is not hurt.”

When Aella didn’t repeat the words and instead smirked, as Damon looked on confused, Aella was able to raise her hand. With a flick of her hand, Aella threw him across the room, smirking as he landed in the corner with a bang, “Nice try, asshole.”

She saw Caroline’s window open as he looked up at her in shock. Her eyes fell to her best friend, the blonde crying in her bed, knees drawn up to her body to protect her, but when she looked back at Damon, he was gone as the curtain blew in the wind.

Stefan ran in just to see his brother escape and saw the mess on Caroline floor, “Is she okay?”

Aella nodded and ran to her best friend when Caroline immediately jumped at Aella, clinging to her best friend, “Thank god you’re here,” she sobbed. 

Aella shushed Caroline holding her close, just as Stefan did to her only minutes before. When she saw the blood on Caroline’s stomach, she reached for a tissue and wiped the blood, apologizing to Caroline when she hissed in pain.

A few minutes later, Stefan came back in with a glass of water, “Thank you,” Aella whispered to him.

He nodded, taking a seat on the side of the bed next to Aella and noticed she had wrapped Caroline’s dressing-gown around her. She held out the glass to the blonde, who immediately started guzzling it down.

Caroline then pulled back with a frown wiping her tears with her sleeve, “Aella, what the hell are you?”

Aella looked at her, eye wide as she laughed sheepishly, “Well funny story, Caroline.”

“I’m listening,” Caroline squinted at her, taking a gulp of her water, tears drying up as she focused on something else.

“I’m a witch.”

“**What?!**” Caroline choked, spitting water from her mouth all over Aella’s face.

Aella smiled tightly, eyes closed as the water fell down her face, Stefan chuckled reaching over and wiping her face with the corner of the blanket near him. She opened her eyes looking at Stefan with a slight smile, “That was a much better reaction than what I was expecting.”

“**You’re a witch and you didn’t tell me!**”

Aella winced, refusing to look at Caroline as Stefan smirked, “That’s more like it.” She turned to a now glaring Caroline and did jazz hands at Caroline, “_Surprise! _”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	15. Bibbidy bobbidy boo and all that jazz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**FORBES HOUSEHOLD**

Caroline stared at her best friend for a good few minutes until she burst into tears again, the evening getting just too much for the blonde. Aella held Caroline, rocking her and kissing her head, as her hand went to the wound that Damon had created on her stomach, noticing the tissue had been bled through.

Aella looked over her shoulder to Stefan, who had made sure Damon had gone, now stood at the door waiting for Aella to ask him to do something, and she did. "Can you get a wet cloth for her wound?" Stefan nodded and walked average speed to the bathroom, allowing Aella time to soothe Caroline. 

"I've got you, he's not coming back," Aella repeatedly whispered as Caroline's sobs turned to sniffles and gasps.

When he heard the room go quiet, he brought in the wet cloth. He stood against the door frame. Aella smiled gratefully and stretched for the fabric in a way that hid the underwear-clad Caroline, yes she had a bathrobe on. Still, unfortunately, the wound was right in the center of her stomach. The bathrobe needed to be open so Aella could clean the wound and not stain Caroline's favorite robe.

"I'm just going to clean this wound up, C," Aella told her best friend, not doing anything without informing her.

At Caroline's nod, Aella started cleaning around the wound, "Stefan's going to get me a water, do you want anything, C?"

It was Aella's way of informing Caroline of who else was here. She felt Caroline move her face from her neck and look over at Stefan with a timid smile, "Another water sounds great."

"I'll get that now," Stefan smiled gently at her, taking the empty glass from the side.

Aella looked over her shoulder, connecting her eyes with his. Her eyes were full of sadness but also relieved that he got her there in time.

When Stefan walked off, Caroline watched Aella, who had now gone back to cleaning the bite on her stomach. "I can't believe it when I have two hot guys in my house, one bites me, and the other is dating my best friend."

"Typical Caroline Forbes," Aella scoffed, smirking up at her. "Here I am cleaning your wound and your talking about guys."

Caroline smiled, grateful that Aella realized she wasn't ready yet to talk about what happened, "The day I notice a wound over a hot guy, send me to a mental hospital!"

"Noted," Aella chuckled, finishing up when she saw the blood wasn't leaking anymore. 

"Two glasses of water," Stefan smiled, stepping slightly into the room and placing them on the side table. 

Aella reached for Caroline's shirt, pulling it over the blonde's head before standing up and stepping over to her boyfriend, "Thank you."

"She okay?" He whispered, handing her the waters.

Aella shrugged, "She's making jokes."

"_She _is also right here," Caroline sassed, standing up from her bed and pulling her shirt down to hide her underwear. "She is also not wearing pants."

Stefan immediately looked into Aella's eyes while Aella giggled, "Just keep looking into my eyes, baby."

Stefan smirked, "I'm not looking anywhere else."

"Oh, give me a break!" Caroline moaned, pulling on her shorts. "No romantic moments when I just literally got bit by my date."

Aella's smirk quickly fell when she looked at Caroline, "Ready to talk?"

Caroline smirked, picking up the two glasses of water, "Ready? No. Do I want to know what the hell you just did? Yes." 

She then pushed past the two and made her way into her kitchen. Aella groaned to Stefan, "I was wondering if she saw that?"

"**Saw that!?** " Caroline screeched from the kitchen, and they both winced at the noise, " **You waved your hand, and a guy literally flew into our Hello Kitty BFF picture frame!**"

Stefan waved his hand for Aella to go first, chivalry at its finest; if only Stefan wasn't smirking, "She's your best friend."

"Traitor," Aella muttered, hitting his arm, ignoring his pathetic yelp.

..............................................

..............................................

"So...?" Caroline frowned as they all sat around the kitchen table. "Stefan is a very old vampire that willingly chooses to go to high school again, while his psycho brother seduces innocent young girls and then feeds on them? That, right?"

"Excluding the 'innocent' part," Aella smirked, defending herself when Caroline slapped her arm. 

Stefan nodded, hiding his smirk once again, "Sounds about right."

"And you're not a psycho?" Caroline then interrogated Stefan. "And all this whole romantic thing you two have going isn't just so you can get your kicks biting her?!"

"Caroline!" Aella moaned, but Stefan placed his hand on her arm.

"No, she's got every right to ask," Stefan nodded at Aella then looked into the steel blue eyes of her best friend. "Because in the last few weeks she has not asked me to pretend to be anyone else, she's not allowed me to continue being miserable. She's trusted me like no other. She's crazy, unpredictable, and brings something out of me that no one has ever done before, and because of that, I am falling in love with your best friend more and more every day."

"Oh my god," Caroline sighed in synchronicity to her best friend's gasps of the same words.

Stefan smiled at Aella, watching her face go from total shock to a shy smile, "Really?" She whispered, and Stefan nodded, taking hold of her hands. 

They smiled at each for a little longer before Aella shook her head from the clouds and squeezed Stefan's hands in pure joy, "Does that answer that, C?"

Caroline nodded, mouth still wide, "Stefan is not a psycho, Damon is." She then too shook her head and stared down at Aella, "And what about you! With the-" she shook her hands around then banged them together, "-throwing the psycho into my wall."

Aella chuckled nervously, taking a glance at Stefan, who nodded encouragingly, "Well, C, I... am... a..... witch."

Caroline laughed at her best friend, "I'm sorry, it could be from the blood loss, but did you just say, witch?"

"Um... yes," Aella nodded, biting her lip. "Bibbidy bobbidy boo and all that jazz."

"Bibbidy bobbidy boo," Caroline repeated flatly eyebrow raised. "All the kick-ass witches in books, tv shows, and movies, and you choose to quote the fairy freakin' godmother in Cinderella!?"

Aella smiled smugly, "Hey, at least I'm consistent."

Caroline looked at Stefan, eyebrows still raised, "Want to take back all that stuff you said minutes ago?"

Aella raised her hands, looking pointedly at Caroline, "Want to feel what Damon did?"

Caroline pushed her hands down on the table, "Puh-lease! I have enough dirt on you from your awkward junior high yearbook photos that Grams gave me when she saw your dad's sarcastic attitude starting to develop in you."

"_She what? _!" Aella exclaimed as Caroline smirked smugly.

Stefan watched the two of them go back and forth, smiling at the normalcy of it. These two weren't just best friends; they were sisters in everything except blood. 

Aella's mouth made a 'tsh' sound as she frustratingly sucked in air through her teeth before looking at Stefan, "Do you mind getting the necklace I got Caroline from my car."

Stefan laughed, standing up, "Not at all." As he walked past Aella, he tapped her shoulder, "Try to stay calm."

Aella ignored Caroline's 'ha!' at his suggestion, sending him a small smile watching him leave before looking back at Caroline. "Okay, now in all seriousness, are you okay?"

Caroline shrugged, laughing sarcastically, her smirk falling knowing Aella knew her better than everyone. "The guy I crushed on majorly is a psycho vampire who is still in love with his ex. His little brother - who is also a vampire - is your boyfriend and is nothing like his older brother. Also, not forgetting his little fetish, said big brother likes warm human blood fresh from the tank, while little brother likes sucking the blood out of Bambi."

Aella smirked to herself and admitted, "I said the Bambi thing too."

Caroline laughed for real this time, "It's our go-to movie when we need a cry. Bambi's mom dying is the saddest movie moment ever, especially when you imagine Stefan could actually be doing that."

"No!" Aella whined at the comparison, covering her ears as Caroline chuckled evilly.

Stefan walked in at that moment and chuckled inwardly when he realized seeing this scene didn't perplex him as it would most. In fact, Aella, with her hands on her ears 'lalalalaing' to herself, while a smiling Caroline talked over her - this was a totally regular occurrence with the two best friends. 

Aella smiled up at Stefan, removing her hands when she saw him and reached out for the necklace he was holding out for her, "Thank you."

She held the necklace out to Caroline, "The most important thing you will ever wear." 

Caroline took the necklace from her, examining the antique silver pendant that, only on close inspection did she see on the back, was a small clasp, "It's beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it," Aella smiled, standing up and taking the necklace from her hands, unclipping it and placing it around Caroline's neck. "Inside the pendant is a herb called vervain."

"Vervain?"

"It's a herb that is lethal to vampires," Stefan explained for Aella. "It prevents vampires from using compulsion on you like Damon did previously." Stefan pointed at the necklace, "Keep it hidden and worn at all times, and vampires won't be able to use compulsion on you."

Aella sat back down as Stefan pulled out a clear vial of liquid from his pocket, "And this is a liquid form of vervain." He handed it to Caroline, "A drop of this in your morning drink every day, and if a vampire takes a drink of you, they will be poisoned."

Caroline looked down at the vial holding her new necklace tight, "This will protect me from vampires?" 

Aella nodded, rubbing her own ring, "As much protection we can provide, without giving you a stake to walk around with like Buffy."

"Okay," Caroline nodded, placing the necklace under her shirt and holding the vial even tighter. "I'm feeling pretty tired."

Aella nodded, looking over at Stefan, "I'm going to stay with her tonight, do you mind picking us up tomorrow?"

Stefan shook his head, standing up, "Of course." 

As Caroline and Aella stood, the blonde walked over to Stefan and gave him a hug, "Thanks for tonight."

Stefan hugged her back, whispering, "If anything happened to you, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't survive."

Caroline pulled away, still holding onto his arms smiling tightly, "I'm pretty sure the same would happen to me."

Stefan nodded, looking to Aella, who took hold of his hand before turning her gaze to Caroline, "I'm gonna walk him out."

Caroline smiled, "I'll get you something to sleep in."

Stefan led Aella out the door to her car, leaning her against the driver's door and cocooning his arms around her. She leaned up on her toes and kissed his lips, showing exactly how she felt about what he did tonight. 

"Thank you for getting me here in time," Aella whispered against his lips, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. 

His eyes were soft as they ran along her features, and he leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead, "It's no problem."

Aella kissed his lips once more before stepping back, "See you tomorrow, Drac."

"Bright and early, Glinda," he laughed, getting in her car.

Aella quickly changed and jumped into bed with Caroline. Caroline had her back to Aella, and for a moment, Aella thought her blonde best friend had fallen asleep until she heard a sniffle. When she looked over, Caroline's body was shaking slightly. Aella rolled over and wrapped her arms around her best friend, holding her tightly. Caroline took the arm around her waist, squeezing it tight, "Thank you," Caroline whispered through sobs.

Aella shook her head and held her tighter, tears falling down her own face at how close she was to losing her best friend, "Never thank me, C. You're my person, I'd be lost without you."

"I love you," Caroline sniffed.

"I love you too."

** FORBES HOUSEHOLD **

Rolling over in frustration, Aella glared at Caroline’s ceiling. While her best friend was fast asleep, Aella had woken up thirty minutes ago and still couldn’t get back to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the numbers eight, fourteen, and twenty-two, but they all looked different; sizes, colors, format, and styles.

She slowly got out of bed, picking her phone up and stepping out into the kitchen. She could see on her walk to the kitchen that Liz had come home, due to her bedroom door now being shut. 

Sitting down at the kitchen table, she contemplated texting Stefan to see if he was awake but decided not to. When she saw the notepad and pen on the tabletop, she pulled the two items towards her, on the A4 lined paper, she started to draw the way the numbers looked in her mind.

Sketching the ‘eight’, it’s shaping curvier than the others, she recognized it was something like someone would notice more on a signpost. As she moved onto the ‘fourteen’, she realized this was a more classic style, stencil-like. It reminded her of something she would see on a poster or something that would have to be visually recognized from far away, or from different angles. But the ’twenty-two,’ that, was different from the other two numbers. At the same time, it looked stenciled; it also looked hand-painted rather than structured, drawn rather than computer-based, on a wall or the floor, and the size felt so much more prominent than the first two.

By the time her eyes started drooping without seeing numbers, Aella had used half a dozen pages to show the final structure of each of the numbers. Screwing the other pages up, she placed them in the trash, picking up the last page and walking back to Caroline’s bedroom with it. She folded it in half and put it on the bedside table on her side of the bed and carefully climbed back into bed, hoping to God that she would sleep without seeing those stupid three numbers again.

**THE NEXT DAY**

The Forbes house as every morning was a crazy house, even though it only housed two participants. The Sheriff tried to locate the equipment that she threw throughout the house as she stumbled home most late evenings. While Caroline groaned at her wardrobe options that she loved when she bought and now hated, even worse, she had to choose two outfits that morning.

“So, yesterday wasn’t a dream?” Caroline pouted as she finally figured out her outfit of choice.

“More like a nightmare,” Aella’s muffled voice replied, the pillow she had slept upon, now on her face as she hid away from the natural light. 

The biggest pain of sleeping at the Forbes house was the early mornings, as beautiful as Caroline was, she still needed to get up two whole hours before school.

Blasphemy.

Aella removed the pillow and sat up, “How is your bite?”

Caroline looked over her shoulder, tutting at the state of her best friend’s hair, “Sore, can you change the bandage?”

“Yup,” Aella yawned, finally getting up. “Let me get my coffee and wash up.”

“You and your coffee,” muttered Caroline as she walked away.

Caroline lifted her shirt, looking at the bloodied bandage in the mirror; she stroked around it, remembering that frightening moment only hours ago. Shaking her head, Caroline quickly pulled down her shirt. She started looking for something Aella would find suitable, ignoring the pull of her stomach.

When she finally chose something, she wandered into the kitchen. She pulled out her coffee cup, ignoring the half-empty ‘Aella’ cup sitting on the side and pulled out her own mug.

Liz stuck her head into the kitchen, “I’m off, hunny, have a good day.”

“You too, mom.”

“And good morning to you, Aella,” Liz shouted as she opened the front door.

Caroline frowned, sticking her head out of the kitchen, “How do you know it’s Aella and not a hot guy?”

Liz chuckled to herself, while she checked she had everything, “Because there is only one person in Mystic Falls that drinks from the Aella cup and gets away with it. Plus, Stefan is standing on the driveway, and in the short time he has been in this town, he and Aella have been joined at the hip, including on my couch.”

She smiled smugly at her daughter who just rolled her eyes, Aella stuck her head out of the bathroom mouth covered with toothpaste and toothbrush in her hand, “And that is how she is Sheriff! Boom Mrs. Forbes!”

“Thank you, Aella,” Liz smiled at the teen and looked to Stefan, who at least was looking a little sheepish. “In you go, Stefan, I’m sure you’ll be able to hear one of the girls before you see them.”

Stefan nodded and walked through the door she held open, “Thanks Sheriff, and good morning.”

“Morning, Stefan.”

Caroline’s eyes widened at Stefan’s name, and she quickly ran back to the kitchen door, “Stefan,” she waved him over.

He raised an eyebrow at the pajama-clad blonde, closing the door and heading over to her, “Good mo-” Before he could complete the sentence, she dragged him into the kitchen, looking around to make sure Aella wasn’t around, “-Good morning Caroline.”

Caroline smiled, “Good morning.” She then pulled the collar of his jacket, and pulled him down her level, face scowling as she glared into his eyes, “You listen here, buster! You may be a very old vampire that can kill me in a second. If you _ ever _hurt my best friend or make her feel like she is not worth a thousand of you, then I will take my mom’s gun. I will fill it with vervain coated wooden bullets, and I will shoot you until your body is like a colander. Got me!?

Stefan nodded and gently pulled her hands off his jacket, “If I ever hurt Aella, I would allow you to do that to me.”

“Good!” She smiled proudly, straightening his jacket back into place.

“_Goooooood morning _!” Aella sang, skipping into the kitchen, heading straight for Stefan.

“Morning,” he smiled, kissing her when she leaned up to him. 

“How are you?” She questioned, pouring another coffee for her and him.

“Well, Damon was suspiciously absent,” he sighed, taking the coffee and sat down.

“Probably embarrassed, a girl kicked his ass,” Caroline smirked, walking back to her room to get changed.

“If only,” Stefan frowned, taking a sip.

Aella frowned herself, putting her coffee down and then taking his coffee away, ignoring the pathetic ‘hey’ as he frowned further. She then stood up and opened his arms, placing herself on his lap. While he wasn’t objective to the move, he was still confused.

Aella took hold of his face and smoothed the frown lines that had appeared at the mention of Damon, she leaned down, so her eyes lined up to his, nose brushing his softly, “Knock knock.”

Stefan tried to hide his smile, but it was impossible, “Who’s there?”

“The interrupting cow.”

“The interrupting cow wh-”

“-**Mooooooooooo!**” Aella interrupted, throwing her head back as she laughed out loud.

Stefan laughed gently, as she cut off her moo-ing, smiling even more when then giggles started. She looked back down at him, smiling brightly at his laughter as she smoothed her thumb over the apple of his grinning cheek, “No more frown lines, Dracula.”

Stefan only pulled her into him, kissing her smiling lips with only pure appreciation.

Damon watched Caroline’s house as his brother and the two girls exit-ed, Aella shouting out’ shotgun!’ which Caroline groaned at.

Damon watched the brunette with interest as she smiled over at his brother. For once, his brother was smiling brightly at him, only Smexy Lexi had gotten a half-hearted smile out of his brother a handful of times.

Damon didn’t like the smile; it was affecting his vow he made to his brother.

When Stefan pulled away from Caroline’s home, Damon waited a few moments before casually walking over to the Forbes house. Using the key under the turtle that he saw Caroline reveal the previous night, the Sheriff was unaware of the key. Damon hoped Caroline would forget she drunkenly used it that night. 

Whistling to himself, he let himself in and went directly to Caroline’s bedroom, looking around the bedroom with little interest. Heading over to the bookcase, he bent down, looking at the pictures that littered it, instead of books. It seemed that if there was one person Caroline was close to, it was definitely Aella; they were featured in nearly every photo together, even the ones with what looked like Caroline’s parents. 

Looking to the bed, he saw a few books that were obviously haphazardly thrown on it. Damon sat down on the bed he fondly stroked the bed covers, remembering the fun he was having until _she _came. When he saw Aella’s name on the books, he pulled it towards him to see the rest of her name. 

**Aella Bennett.**

Damon smirked to himself as his finger stroked her full name, “Well, well, well, looks like Saint Stefan has a Pixie Witchy all to himself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	16. What do you call a cheerleader with pigtails?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

Jeremy sketched the tree in front of him, he had found the dusty book thrown in the back of his closet last night and decided to give it a little fresh air. As soon as he’d opened it, he couldn’t stop drawing.

He was so invested in sketching the huge oak tree in front him; he didn’t see Vicki making her was towards him, “I rock,” she declared, knocking him out of his sketching bubble. “I scored two tickets to the Posers, Saturday night. They’re playing at the Rat.” She waved the tickets in his face as she haphazardly sat next to him.

Jeremy only glanced up at her for a second before returning to his sketching, “You and Tyler have fun.”

“Don’t be like that,” she nudged him scoffing. “Come on. I want you to go.”

Jeremy closed his book in frustration, “It didn’t seem like that last night.” He stood up, grabbing his bag and putting his book in it. “I promised myself that I’d give you one last chance and when everyone was looking for you last night, Tyler couldn’t be bothered; So, you decided to make out and go home with him. I’m done, Vick.”

Before she could say anything else, he walked away, feeling lighter than he had in awhile.

..............................................

..............................................

“Mornin’ mi amigos!” Aella loudly greeted her two best friends, holding hands with Stefan.

“Good morning, Elena. Good morning, Bonnie.” Stefan greeted, not as brightly.

“I saw C, arrive with you, where’d she go?” Bonnie questioned after they all exchanged good mornings.

“Something to do with the Ra Ra Sisterhood,” Aella grumbled looking for her math book, did she leave it at Caroline’s?

Stefan coughed out a chuckle, “The what?”

Elena smirked from Aella to Stefan, “Cheerleading. Caroline’s the captain of the team, and Aella is the captain of the anti-cheerleading team.”

“It doesn’t help we were all cheerleaders before someone-” Bonnie mock glared at Elena. “-decided to quit.

Aella chuckled, smirking up at her boyfriend, “I’m no longer alone.”

Stefan raised an eyebrow, that glimmer in her eye didn’t spell good for anyone.

Bonnie scoffed, “The only reason Caroline allowed Elena to quit in such short notice was that she could keep _ you _entertained while we practiced.”

Stefan now understood the glimmer.

“Keep me entertained!” Aella gasped, hands on her heart, “I was simply promoting the cheerleading team.”

“Ha!” Elena coughed out and looked directly at Stefan, happy to explain just how crazy her best friend could be. “Our cheerleading training session a few years ago,” she pointed at Aella, “-decided to share some new jokes...” She turned to Bonnie, “What did she specifically say?”

“Why is a cheerleader like railway tracks?” Bonnie recited in a deadpan tone, “Cause she’s been laid all over the country!”

Stefan looked down at Aella, who was trying not to laugh, and he could feel his own mouth trying to smile.

“Oh, and...” Elena smirked sarcastically. “What’s the difference between a cheerleader and a hockey player...? A cheerleader handles more than one stick at a time!”

Aella snorted a little, and Stefan had to turn his head a little to release the tension building up in his cheeks as he tried not to laugh.

“Or... the football team’s favorite one,” Bonnie grimaced at the memory of when it happened. “What do you call a cheerleader with pigtails?”

Aella snorted out loud then and couldn’t contain the giggles as she turned entirely away from her friends.

Stefan chuckled a little, looking at the glaring cousin, “I don’t know, Bonnie... What do you call a cheerleader with pigtails?”

“A blowjob with handlebars,” Bonnie said flatly.

Even Elena chuckled at that one, while Stefan and Aella laughed freely at the joke and the look on Bonnie’s face.

Stefan raised an eyebrow looking down at Aella, “Maybe you do need a babysitter.”

Aella only shrugged, accepting defeat, eyes glittering as she giggled out loud.

..............................................

..............................................

Tyler looked up at the familiar laugh, scowling when he saw her little lost puppy standing next to her, per usual. “Look... there’s Aella and her new boyfriend wearing his fake leather jacket.” 

In his frustration, he threw the football hard at Matt, who only just caught it. Matt threw the ball back at him harder, “You’re a dick and jealous!”

“Jealous?” Tyler scoffed, catching the ball with ease. “Three years, I tried to get her to even smile in my direction, and then Mr. Tall, Mysterious and Handsome arrives, and she’s putty in his hands!”

Matt only smirked at his best friend, “I say again, _ jealous_! She’s made her choice, and it’s not you!”

Tyler juggled the ball between his hands, a plan forming as he stared at the ball before smirking at Matt, “Well, let’s show her that she made the wrong one.”

Tyler turned to face Stefan, whose back was towards the boys, and Matt knew exactly what was on his mind, “What are you doing? Ty, don’t. Ty, don’t! Ty!”

But the ball had already left his fingertips.

..............................................

..............................................

“So, missy!” Elena smirked, as their laughter stopped, and they slowly walked to the school entrance. “I covered for you, again, last night with Jenna.”

Aella winced briefly, looking up at Stefan then back to Elena, “Caroline, Stefan, and I chilled at her house last night. I ended up falling asleep there, so Stefan put me in Caroline’s bed.”

“Yeah,” Stefan nodded slightly, seeing the pain Aella was going through lying to her friends. “Caroline took a picture of a drooling Aella laid on my shoulder, but this one-” he motioned down to a grateful Aella “-deleted it this morning.”

Bonnie pouted at Elena, “I was really hoping for something more... filthier.”

“Dirty, dirty, minded girls,” Aella scowled playfully, wagging her finger at the two.

Aella looked up to question Stefan when he quickly turned, standing in front of her, before catching a speeding brown thing. Everything seemed to stop as all the girls stared at Stefan, mouths wide open, and held the football up as if what he had done was no big deal.

“Whoa!” Aella mumbled, head rush from the sudden movement her boyfriend had done.

Looking around Stefan, she saw Matt and Tyler standing, mouths also wide open as they stared at Stefan. Scowling at Tyler, who she knew had thrown the stupid ball, Aella snatched the ball from Stefan’s grasp, “**Tyler Lockwood, that almost hit me, you asshole!**”

She marched over to the two boys. Using her magic to summon the air, she pushed the ball into Tyler’s stomach, smiling inwardly with joy at his mumbled, “_Ow!_”

She then marched back to her smirking boyfriend as the whole courtyard laughed at Tyler, for his shit throw at Stefan, and for pissing Aella Bennett off.

Matt tried to hide his grin as he looked over at his best friend, “Nice try, dude.” He slapped him on the shoulder and left his embarrassed best friend to himself.

Thinking over what had just happened, Matt missed the blonde speeding towards him, mumbling to herself as she looked over the jobs she had to go over before cheer practice; they smashed into each other. And Matt didn’t miss the pain-filled moan when their torsos hit each other.

“Caroline?” He questioned, arms surrounding her almost protectively as she winced. “Are you okay?”

“Mhmm,” she nodded through tight lips, as her hand unknowingly squeezed his forearm.

Matt chuckled slightly, “I’ve lived with women my entire life, I know when a girl is in pain and trying to hide it.” He pulled her closer to him, putting his arm around her back and letting her lean on him. 

Blushing slightly, she looked up at him through her eyelashes, “Maybe a bit of pain.”

He smiled at her and motioned with his head towards the nurse’s office, “C’mon, let’s get you to the nurse.”

Caroline nodded and smiled gratefully at Matt, leaning on him a little more just to relieve the pain, as they made their way to the nurse’s office.

..............................................

..............................................

“That catch was insane,” Elena laughed as Tyler marched off in fury and embarrassment. “Did you play football?”

“I used to,” Stefan shrugged, watching Aella walk back to them, a broad smile on her face. “It was a long time ago.”

“What was a long time ago?” Aella asked, taking her bag back from Stefan with a smile.

“Stefan playing football, Miss Dynamite,” Bonnie smirked at her cousin. “Bet that made your morning.”

Aella smirked back at her, “That made my day, especially seeing the hot hands this one-” she nudged a smug Stefan “-has.” She looked around, noticing a few more girls now noticing Stefan, it was annoying how hot he was, she spread out her arms to block him from view, “Hands of girls! He’s mine!”

Stefan just shook his head and picked her up, easily tucking her over his shoulder, smiling at her giggles, “Let’s go, Mohammad Ali.”

Aella strained her head up, looking at the girls now glaring at her position, she placed her two fingers to her eyes and then turned them to look at the girls and mouthed, ‘I’m watching you! ’

“Ignore her,” Bonnie politely told the girls, stepping behind Stefan to block Aella’s view of the girls, as she slapped her hands down. “Stop bringing attention to yourself, and they won’t stare at your boyfriend.”

Elena shook her head fondly at her best friend and looked back up to Stefan continuing their conversation, “So why don’t you try out for the team?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” Stefan shook his head, as he felt Aella use her stomach muscles to pull herself up a little more. 

“Me, neither,” she shook her head, smirking at the confused stares people were giving her as Stefan casually walked down the corridor. “Stefan’s got a brain, football players don’t.”

“Matt plays!” Elena defended her ex immediately.

“Matt’s failing most classes!” Aella squeaked, her stomach muscles failing and falling back to face Stefan’s nice ass. She looked over at Elena, who was now upside down, “Bad example.”

“So you don’t like football?” Elena proceeded, ignoring Aella.

“No, I love football. I think it’s a great sport,” Stefan explained, ignoring Aella poking his back, whispering to him not to go to the ‘dark side’ and join. “But in this case, I don’t think football likes me. You saw Tyler over there, and we both know how he feels, and Matt will support his best friend.”

“If I cheer you on and threaten Tyler, can you put me down?” Aella asked, feeling slightly sick from being in the position too long.

Stefan smirked down at her frowning face and poked her nose in humor, laughing when she tried to slap his hand away and ended up bashing her own nose.

“Sorted,” Elena smirked up at Stefan. She then kneeled down to be eye level with Aella, even though they were both facing different directions. “Stefan joins, and you cheer for him and the cheerleaders _ nicely _... Emphasis on the nice.”

Aella crossed her arms dismissively. Stefan juggled her a bit using his super-hearing to hear her slight winces as he, Elena, and Bonnie watched with smug smiles.

“Fine!” She whined, releasing her arms, “Only positive cheers for him and the cheerleading team.”

“Good,” Elena nodded, standing up and high-fiving Bonnie.

Stefan let Aella down, smiling at her innocently, while Aella sorted out herself and glared at the three, “You’ve all been around me too much! And later on, I will be proud, but right now, I am just very, very mad!” She then turned in her spot and started walking off.

Bonnie snorted, and Elena and Stefan looked to her in question, “She’s going the wrong way.”

Stefan was about to shout at his girlfriend when Aella stopped her march and turned to glare at the three. Marching back, she stopped in front of Tanner’s classroom, which she had already been outside of when she stormed away. As she opened the door, she glared back at the three, “Not a word!”

..............................................

..............................................

“-World war II ended in... Anyone got anything?” Tanner questioned the class that was doing anything but listening. “Miss Juan? 1945.”

Aella looked up from drawing the familiar numbers 8, 14, and 22 on her History book. She looked over at Stefan, who was watching her, smiling that she caught him watching you. He frowned down at the repeated numbers on her book and mouthed to her, ‘What’s that?’

Aella only pointed to her head, miming the numbers going round and round.

Stefan mouthed again, ‘ Dream or Vision? ’

“_I don’t know,_” she whispered, frowning, knowing he could hear her very easily. “_Dreams don’t usually last this long._”

Stefan pointed at his watch, his way of asking how long.

“_I dreamt of the numbers last night, and I keep seeing them every time I close my eyes... ever since you left, last night_.” She turned her book towards him so he could see each number’s style, “_Each number is unique and looks a certain way. _”

Stefan stared at the numbers frowning. Aella glanced at Elena before looking back at him, remembering the conversation they all had before History, “_Hey! Are you really thinking of joining the football team? _”

“_Maybe,_” Stefan shrugged, eyes still on the numbers as he turned the book to look at the numbers in different ways.

“_Well, our team sucks, so it would be cool to cheer on my boyfriend, who could actually help us win a game,_” Aella bit her lip to hide her smile.

Stefan looked up at what she said, her own way of saying she was cool with him joining the team, and he nodded, looking back down at the numbers smiling softly, “_Okay._”

“Allena?” Tanner questioned, and for the first time that semester, Aella ignored him.

Stefan looked up at Tanner’s call, glancing at Aella, whose eyes were still on him. He moved his eyes to Tanner, but Aella shook her head slightly, she was sick of this teacher saying her straightforward name wrong. Very, very wrong.

“Allena?” Tanner now shouted as the class was starting to whisper to themselves.

“**Allena!**-”

“My name is **AELLA!**” Aella snapped, finally looking up at her fuming teacher. “A.E.L.L.A, Aella.”

“Fine!” Tanner gritted out. “What year was Pearl Harbour, Aellna?”

Aella’s nose flared at his smirk as he purposely repeated her name incorrectly, her fingers flexed, and Stefan saw the pages on her desk move slightly from her magic being under the influence of her emotions.

“-December 7, 1941,” Stefan answered instead, quickly placing his hand on her closed fist.

She looked over to him, breathing heavily and then looked to their hands. Opening her tight-fisted hand to lace their fingers together, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down as he gently stroked her palm, watching Tanner with his sharp stare.

“Thank you, Miss Bennett,” Tanner smiled sarcastically.

“Anytime,” Stefan stared back, not smiling as he squeezed Aella’s shaking hand again.

“Very well,” Tanner smiled smugly and settled on the edge of his desk. “The fall of the Berlin Wall?”

“1989,” He answered back and for extra measure stuck up for his girlfriend. “I’m good with dates _ and _names, sir.”

“Are you?” Tanner now stood up and walked closer to Aella and Stefan. “How good? Keep it to the year. Civil Rights Act?”

“1964.”

“John F. Kennedy assassination?”

“1963”

“Martin Luther King?”

“68.”

Aella chuckled to herself in disbelief as the debate went on, she squeezed Stefan’s hand in support and thanks.

“Lincoln?”

“1865.”

“Roe vs. Wade?”

“1973.”

Aella looked around the room as this pathetic debate of Tanner’s went on, proving he was not only stubborn but childish. Too bad he didn’t realize he would be going up against a vampire, who had bared witness to the atmosphere these events caused. Looking over her shoulder, her eyes drew to Elena. She was silently cheering Stefan on and fist-pumped when her eyes met her best friends. 

“Brown vs. Board?”

“1954.”

“The battle of Gettysburg?”

“1863.”

Aella quickly noticed Caroline was missing. Bonnie was missing the ludicrous argument as she had her head down writing furiously in her history book. Aella frowned, trying to see what she was writing but couldn’t; whatever it was, it must have been important to miss the show.

“Korean war?”

“1950 to 1953.”

“**Ha!**” Tanner smiled victorious, slamming his hand down on his desk, “It ended in ’52.”

Aella looked to Stefan worried, but that worry disappeared when she saw his smirk, “Uh, actually, _ Sir_, it was ’53.”

Tanner glared at the correction, he turned and looked around at the awestruck class, “Look it up, somebody... Quickly.”

Everyone, bar Stefan’s group of friends, opened their history books, craving to see who had won the argument. Aella looked over at Stefan, ‘_Thank you,_’ She mouthed over at him, and he only smiled gently at her, squeezing her hand again.

“It was 19...” A student next to Stefan started, making the whole class look at him, he smirked up at Tanner, “...53.”

The whole class burst into smothered laughter as Tanner went red-faced; luckily for him, the bell rang, and everyone left the room, not bothering to disguise their laughter. Aella stood up and hugged Stefan tightly, resting her head on his shoulder for a moment. When she opened her eyes, Bonnie was just standing, but Aella could see in her book the very familiar numbers she had seen all night long; 8, 14, and 22. She pulled away from Stefan in confusion. 

“Okay?” Stefan asked her softly, and Aella nodded. “Yeah, thank you for that.”

Stefan only shrugged again and pulled her towards the door. Just as they passed Tanner, Stefan stopped them next to him, “Her name is Aella, Sir. Next time you purposely forget it, we will be speaking with the principal.”

Aella proudly grinned, “Yeah, Aella! Like Paella without the ‘**P**!’” 

Tanner snarled at the two, but hesitantly nodded and turned his back to them, ending the conversation there and then.

Aella laughed as soon as they got out into the corridor, ignoring the other students’ frowns as she stood directly in the middle of the school corridor, “That was amazing! Thank you so much!”

“It’s what I’m here for,” Stefan shrugged, pulling her close and out of the way, before kissing her smiling lips.

“Mmhm,” Aella moaned against his lips, kissing them back. “Thank you anyway,” she mumbled against them as he pushed her into the lockers.

He grinned into her, his lips hot against hers. Kissing him was quickly becoming Aella’s biggest indulgence. No matter how long they did it for, or for the fact they had only been together such a short time... it was never enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	17. Rest in Peace, Tyler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

Stefan watched the football team scrummage, as Tanner shouted at all of them. He could see that Matt and Tyler were the team stars, even though Tyler wasn’t having the best training session.

“Mr. Lockwood, is there anything you’re good at? ‘Cause it isn’t history, and it sure as hell isn’t defending the ball!” Tanner shouted at his player.

“Mr. Tanner!-” Aella mocked, jumping onto the bleacher Stefan was on, making him look up at her as she balanced her way over to him. “-is there anything you’re good at? ‘Cause it ain’t history, and it sure as hell ain’t teaching your team to play football!”

Aella, with arms, spread wide and bottom lip bitten in concentration; carefully walked the bleacher as though it was a tightrope. Stefan watched her, eyebrow raised in amusement, which he seemed to be doing quite often with Aella in his presence.

“So,” she jumped down and sat next to him. “Do I need to get my Pom Poms out?”

“Do you have Pom Poms?” He threw back, amused.

She thought it over for a moment before rolling her eyes in defeat, “No, but Elena does!”

“And won’t Elena need them?” He had seen Bonnie and Caroline getting ready for cheerleading, he assumed Elena was also in the group.

“Elena quit,” She smiled wide and evilly. “She has joined the dark side of sitting down and doing nothing! Will you be joining?” 

Stefan leaned close to her smug face, “Tempting...” he kissed the tip of her nose, “but no.” He grabbed his bag from the floor and stood up as Aella squinted up at him, “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck,” she gave him two thumbs up and watched him head over to Tanner.

Watching him reach Tanner, Aella twirled her fingers around in a circular motion, keeping her eyes on the two men, moving her fingers so they circled between her and the two entities. She had been practicing throughout the day on the odd conversations, but now she was confident to try and push it out a little further. Slowly, the air began building up, and suddenly, almost like she was standing between the two, she could hear everything. She was almost in a trance, she couldn’t see anything around her except Tanner and Stefan, she couldn’t even feel her fingers moving.

“_-Varsity trials were last spring, Mr. Salvatore._”

Douche! He knew Stefan only started last week.

“_-I wasn’t here then, sir._”

“_And you’re not here now, as far as I’m concerned, maybe spend time with your chatty girlfriend? _”

Double douche! Oh, how she hated that man.

“_Mr. Tanner..._” Oh no! Stefan was going to apologize, noooooooo, don’t join the dark side, Stefan. “_I realize that you and I didn’t get off to the best start, and I want to apologize for that. I’ve played football before. Wide receiver, mostly, and I’m pretty good. _”

Boom! Take that Tanner, you asshole!

“_Well, I won’t be asking you who won the super bowl in ‘71-_”

“_-’71 was the... Sorry. I... I understand that, sir._”

Aella giggled out loud, how could he be over a hundred years old and still be gullible!

Stefan raised his eyebrow at his girlfriend's giggle, could she hear him? He looked over his shoulder with a raised brow to see her staring, in an almost trance, in his and Tanner’s direction. Suddenly, as their eyes met, she seemed to jump out of her trance and turned away, whispering ‘sorry’ guilty.

“Just to see you get knocked on your ass,” Tanner looked over at him evilly. “Borrow some gear. Go! Before I change my mind.” Stefan nodded and ran to the changing rooms. “Let’s rerun it!”

“-_What are you up to? _”

“What?” Aella jumped round to see Elena watching her strangely. “Me? Up to something? Ha!”

Elena snorted, “You don’t know how much that answer scares me.” She sat down next to Aella, “So what had you so invested?”

Aella smiled slightly, leaning forward, “Stefan got the okay from Tanner to try out for the team.”

“Yes!” Elena’s fist pumped happily. “We may actually have a good season this year.”

“Um...” Aella frowned, pushing Elena’s hands down. Elena’s smile quickly turned into a look of confusion, “This is a non-cheer zone. You wanna cheer? Go back to the Ya-Ya-Sisterhood around the corner.”

Elena playful slapped her hands away, “Oh shut up, you’re just as excited that he’s trying out.”

“Phftt!” She waved away, but her smile was immense, which had the two girls giggling away.

..............................................

..............................................

“All right,” Caroline clapped, looking at the girls as they breathed heavily. “Rest for a second, get some water.”

They were only on the third routine, and the girls were really winded, she had to get these girls game ready. The Timberwolves couldn’t have a bunch of red-faced cheerleaders wheezing as they cheered them on!

Bonnie walked over to her, the only one not breathing so heavily, just as she bent down to get her water. Quickly, she pulled up as the wound on her side twisted in pain from her bent position.

“Ow!” She held the wound for a second, eyes closed tightly.

“Caroline?” Bonnie frowning, running to her best friend’s side quickly and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Caroline nodded, lips tense as she reached up to squeeze Bonnie’s hand. “I fell into my corner table last night and tore my side a bit.”

Bonnie immediately raised Caroline’s black shirt and saw the large bandage on her stomach the nurse had placed there, “A bit! Caroline! That’s huge.”

“Oh, Bonnie,” Caroline shook her head, quickly pulling her shirt down. “Matt took me to the nurse this morning, she said it needs to heal on its own.”

“Mhmm,” Bonnie hummed lips pursed, not impressed, but then quickly raised her eyebrow. “Matt? As is our Matt?”

Caroline laughed, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get away with that mention, “Yes, Matt. He bumped into me and walked me to the nurse. That’s it.”

“I repeat a very suspicious...” Bonnie smirked, “Mhmm.”

“Okay, Inspector Bennett,” Caroline smirked, glancing over at the other girls and back to Bonnie. “Can you continue the practice today? I don’t want to pull my stomach anymore; after all, you helped me create them.”

“Absolutely,” Bonnie nodded seriously but then smiled quite wickedly. “Go sit with the anti-cheer squad and casually watch Mr. Donovan practice.”

“Shut up!” Caroline gasped, pushing Bonnie but smiled in thanks.

“Okay, girls!” Bonnie commanded, gathering the girls. “Caroline has to deal with boring paperwork for us, so I’m going to take over. Let’s go with the double pike herkey hurdler, what do you say? And five, six, seven, eight, and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and one, two, three, four...”

Caroline smiled at her best friend, watching her for a second before wandering over to where she knew Aella usually sat. And now the spot, Elena would probably be sitting at. 

What she didn’t expect as she reached the football field and the bleachers was to see her best friend, standing on the bleachers cheering as loud as any girl she’d seen in competition.

“C’mon** Stefan! Kick their asses! Then pick them up and run again!**”

..............................................

..............................................

Caroline slowly climbed the bleachers and sat next to an amused Elena, “Are my eyes deceiving me, or is that Aella cheering on Stefan?”

“That’s Aella’” Elena nodded at the eerie sight. “Started as soon as Stefan started playing and actually playing good.”

“**Run, Stefan!** ” Aella mocked Forrest Gump jumping up and down clapping. “ **Run as fast as you can and kick their asses!**”

“I’m a little scared actually how good she is at cheering,” Caroline confessed, smiling amusedly. 

They watched as the team gathered in a huddle, and Aella stood still, for once, waiting for them to start again. Aella felt a little uneasy, which only worsened when she saw a smirking Tyler whisper to Matt, who stared uneasily at Tyler. She was just about to use the air to listen to the conversation again when Tanner blew his whistle for them to scrummage again.

..............................................

“All right, let’s huddle up,” Matt instructed the team hesitantly, looking at Stefan. “Set, hut!”

Matt moved back with the ball and threw it towards Stefan; just as Stefan jumped up for the ball, Tyler rammed into him, throwing them both to the ground.

..............................................

Aella’s eyes widened in a fury at the move, and the anger started to engulf her body.

“Oh, oh,” Caroline winced, looking at Aella. 

Elena shook her head at Tyler, “Rest in Peace, Tyler.”

..............................................

“Oooh!” Tyler echoed everyone’s winced moans but smirked down at him, “Whoo! Welcome to the team, buddy.”

“**Tyler Lockwood! If he’s dead, I’m going to murder you!**” Tyler’s head shot up from Stefan to see Aella jump over the bleacher’s fence and march towards him and Stefan.

“Shit!” He moaned, running off to escape her fury. 

Stefan groaned from his position, the pain the only reason he wasn’t grinning at how white Tyler went at Aella’s call.

“This is a closed session, Miss Bennett...” Tanner groaned as Aella marched past him, not paying him any attention. “Aaaaand, you’re going to ignore me.”

Aella ran over to Stefan and knelt beside him, “Are you dead?”

Stefan snorted through the pain, “Technically?”

Aella chuckled and reached around his broad padded shoulders to help him sit up, “Touché.”

When he got to his feet Aella reached up and pulled his helmet off, she was concerned at the pain on his face, could he actually get hurt? “What’s wrong?” 

Stefan looked down at his gloved hand.

“**You gonna live, Salvatore?** ” Tanner shouted; Aella glared over at him, but Stefan just nodded. “ **Walk it off, son.**”

Aella, still concerned, was about to question him again when Matt walked over, tapping his shoulder, “Hey. That was my bad.”

“It’s all right,” Stefan smiled tightly, which caused Aella to frown even more.

“It is not okay!” Aella spun to look at Matt and hit his chest with Stefan’s helmet. “Tyler being a dickhead did this, not you.”

Matt had the courtesy to look embarrassed, “Yeah. I’ll speak to him.”

When Matt walked off, Aella turned back to Stefan, his frown now back in place, since he was hidden from everyone by her body, “What’s up?”

When Stefan looked down at his hand, and Aella took it gently, slowly pulling the glove off, “Shit.”

His finger was pointing the wrong way!

Stefan took a deep breath and flattened his finger, so it looked normal again, wincing in the slight discomfort.

Aella laughed without humor how disgusting yet awesome that was, “Better?”

“Much,” he smirked, taking his glove and helmet back. “Thanks for being my bodyguard.”

Aella smirked with him, “Anytime. Did you like my cheering?”

He looked down at her for a moment, taking her in and smiling softly at her, “Loved it.”

Aella nodded, blushing slightly at his words and pulled up his damaged hand up to her lips, kissing the finger softly, “Kick ass!”

Stefan nodded, kissing her lips once more and put his helmet on jogging back to the boys. 

“Off the field, Bennett!”

Aella smirked, walking backward, watching Stefan run off, her eyes taking in his lovely ass in those shorts. As she passed Tanner, she saluted him, “Yes sir!”

Turning back to the bleachers, she jogged back to her spot, ignoring the looks Elena and Caroline were giving her.

“What?” Aella annoyingly asked when their stares got too much.

Caroline smugly raised an eyebrow, “Bit protective, are we?”

“Oh, shut up!”

Elena copied Caroline and crossed her arms, “You know there’s a space going free in the cheerleading team?”

Aella glared at the two, “Over my dead body!”

..............................................

..............................................

Towards the end of football practice, Aella hadn’t been too loud in her support of Stefan, and now Bonnie had joined them. 

“So tonight,” Elena began, turning to the girls now they were all together. 

“The dinner,” Caroline confirmed as Bonnie nodded in agreement.

“Um, excuse me,” Aella huffed in confusion. “What dinner?”

“The dinner Jenna wants for us girls and Stefan so she can get to know Stefan more,” Elena casually explained. 

“Does Stefan know about this dinner?” 

“Yeah,” Elena assured her. “I asked him during the last period.”

“Is that even legal?” Aella pondered, looking at the field.

“What?” Bonnie frowned, confused. “Legal?”

“Your best friend asking out your boyfriend so that our guardian can interrogate him?” Aella simplified out loud.

Elena looked over at her disapprovingly, “It’s legal if best friends and adopted aunt want to see if said boyfriend is good enough for said best friend and charge!”

Aella looked over at her for a moment before she smiled slightly, “Okay then.”

“Anyway,” Elena shook her head that Aella even had a choice. “Our house at five-thirty, Stefan’s set to arrive for six.”

“This is so exciting,” Caroline clapped happily.

As the boys left the training field, the girls continued chatting about the dinner party that night, unaware of the blue-eyed vampire listening in from his car that was parked opposite the football field.

Damon smirked at this bit of info before placing his sunglasses on and starting his car up. He had an outfit to plan.

**SALVATORE HOUSE**

Stefan walked back from the shower, putting on his shirt as he entered his room only to be stopped by the sight of his brother.

“How were tryouts? Did you make the team?” Damon smirked, sat at Stefan’s desk with his feet crossed on top of the antique.

“Where have you been?” Stefan asked instead of answering.

“Very Emerson,” Damon too ignored the question, as he held Stefan’s diary up. “The way you reveal your soul with so many...” Stefan sped over and snatched the journal from Damon as his brother smirked: “...adjectives.”

Stefan frowned, wrapping the diary back up and holding it tight in his hands, “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be long gone after Caroline didn’t work out.” 

“Very sneaky with the new girlfriend, by the way,” Damon clapped, standing up and walking over to Stefan. “I’ve come to apologize. I’ve been doing some thinking, some soul searching, and... I want us to start over.”

Damon walked around Stefan, like a predator stalking its prey, “The show your little Pixie Witchy put on made me think about things; friends and family are important. We need to put the past behind us. You’re my little brother, and if you want to live a normal, happy human life, then I want that for you. Maybe I can do it, too. That I can learn to be a non-living living person. Maybe there’s hope for both of us.”

Damon stared at Stefan for a second until his face crumbled, unable to keep up the pretense of wanting to be human again, “But shame on you, Stefan! A Bennett witch, with that kind of power, is your girlfriend, and you didn’t tell me!”

Stefan smirked at the panic on Damon’s face for a slight second the previous night, “Her name is Aella.”

“Aella? Pixie Witchy?” Damon weighed up the name smugly, “I like Pixie Witchy, she’s a fireball.”

“That can burn you on the spot like you wanted,” Stefan smugly smiled back, his brother was trying to keep the eagerness to know more out of his voice and was failing to do so.

“Ouch!” Damon held his chest then conceitedly smiled, “Pixie Witchy has put some fire in you too by the look of it. Hopefully, the fun way.” 

Stefan wanted to turn the conversation away from Aella now. “You know, it doesn’t have to be this way, Damon.”

“Of course, it doesn’t.” Damon smiled, walking towards the door. “I have a date. BTW; That means ‘by the way’ Pixie stole my date for tonight so I’ve had to go to Plan B. Sweaty palms,” He rubbed his hands in glee rather than nerves. “Wish me luck!”

Stefan watched after Damon feeling nervous at the glee in his voice and the devious smile on his face.

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

“Jenna is bringing the food, and I have set the table,” Elena smiled, placing down the last fork as Caroline, Bonnie and Aella watched TV in the family room.

“Great,” The three girls mumbled back, eyes transfixed on the TV as the news talked about the latest’ animal’ attacks.

Elena scowled at their response, “Guys! Don’t just sit there.”

Aella pulled her eyes from the TV and looked up to Elena, “And do what? The foods already made, and _ you’ve _stressed out about everything else.”

Elena smiled tightly at her and through clenched teeth said, “Don’t you want to look nice for your boyfriend?”

Caroline looked up at the statement and frowned down at Aella’s clothes, “I agree. Although my clothes look fabulous on you, you have been wearing them all day! I changed!”

“You’re a psycho Barbie that keeps extra clothes everywhere!” Aella shot back.

Bonnie sighed, knowing she would have to keep the peace, “C’mon.” She got up and held her hands out the Aella, “I should change too, can I borrow some clothes?”

Aella sighed in defeat and grabbed Bonnie’s hand allowing her cousin to pull her up, “Yup, let’s go before someone-” she playfully glared over at Elena “-has a conniption fit.

Elena only shrugged and walked back into the kitchen, “Caroline, help me with drinks.”

Aella stomped into her very eclectic bedroom, her cousin following, heading straight for the wardrobe, “It’s only Stefan.”

“For you,” Bonnie smiled, laying on the double bed. She admired the chalkboard walls covered with Aella’s scribbles, thoughts, quotes, and doodles. “Stefan is still a mystery to us. We want to know why he makes you smile.”

Aella smiled in defeat, “He does make me smile a lot.”

“And you’re not as crazy when he’s around,” Bonnie laughed, squealing when Aella threw a pillow at her.

“He likes the crazy,” Aella admitted.

“All of the crazy?” Bonnie pushed, raising an eyebrow.

Aella smiled guiltily, and Bonnie jumped on the bed, bouncing closer to her cousin, “Shut up! What did he say?”

Aella chuckled at the memory of them both discovering each other’s secrets and leaned against her wardrobe, “Surprised wouldn’t sum it up well.”

“Duh,” Bonnie rolled her eyes.

Aella shrugged, looking back into her wardrobe, scanning for an outfit, “He was really cool about it. He said witches, especially the Salem witches like our ancestors, are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity.”

Bonnie smiled to herself, “Well if I didn’t like him before, I really do now.”

“Here,” Aella giggled, throwing the brown gypsy shirt to her cousin. “this hippy shirt is yours!”

Bonnie caught the shirt, she pulled her blue top off and switched it for the brown one. Aella caught sight of the blue off-the-shoulder top and paired it with her light blue jeans, pulling them out she turned and placed them on her bed railing. Catching sight of Bonnie, she saw her cousin playing with the tassels of the throw on her bed, a distracted look on her face.

“B? You okay?” Aella asked, pulling off Caroline’s top and switching it for the royal blue top.

“Hmm?” Bonnie looked up, confused, and quickly shook her head, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Liar!” Aella challenged, jumping about her room as she pulled off the black holey skinny jeans.

“Having fun there?” Bonnie snorted at the attempt. Aella gave her another look. She shrugged again, “I was just thinking about you telling Stefan and how nice it must be, you being able to discuss it with someone non-magic.”

Aella nodded softly, pulling on her light blue jeans, “Yeah, I suppose it is.” Aella bit her lip as she fastened her jeans, “Bonnie?”

“Yeah?”

“I noticed, today in History, that you were drawing some numbers again and again.”

Bonnie sighed in frustration, falling back on Aella’s bed, “It’s driving me crazy.”

“So crazy because every time you close your eyes, you see the numbers eight, fourteen, and twenty-two?” Aella slowly asked as Bonnie slowly sat up with each word her cousin said.

“You see them too?” Bonnie questioned her immediately.

“Yeah,” she nodded, moving to sit opposite her cousin. “Each, one more distinct than the other.”

“Distinct? Mine look just like everyday numbers,” Bonnie frowned, tracing the numbers on the throw.

Aella moved to her desk, picking up a sheet of paper and walking over to Bonnie, passing her the sheet, “The fourteen and twenty-two look almost stenciled, and the eight looks like a sign.”

Bonnie felt like a failure, why was her cousin seeing more than her?

“Hey,” Aella pushed her over a little, smiling gently. “Remember, I’ve known about this my whole life. It’ll make sense eventually, always does.”

Bonnie nodded but still felt a little disappointed, “How did you not tell anyone, for so long?”

“It was something I’ve always known,” Aella shrugged. 

“I can’t not tell, Elena,” Bonnie admitted.

Aella nodded, smiling, “I know. Caroline knows.”

Bonnie gasped, pushing Aella back onto the bed, “You told Caroline! And she didn’t blab to Elena or me?”

Aella giggled, sitting back up, “Caroline knows when to keep her mouth shut.”

Bonnie bit her lip, “I think we should tell Elena, tonight?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	18. Maybe she thought there was a bug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

Bonnie waited for Aella to tell her no, tonight was about Stefan, not them. But then Aella stood up from the bed.

“Well...” Aella smirked looking around her room when she saw what she wanted, she headed to her bed, and picked up one of her many pillows. “If we’re going to reveal this secret of ours, we may as well do it in style.”

She ripped open her pillow, allowing all the feathers inside to fall onto her bed. As Bonnie watched her in confusion, she ran over to her dresser and opened the draw pulling out candles of all different sizes and colors, placing them around the room.

Bonnie raised her eyebrow in humor, “What are you doing?”

Aella sniggered, looking over her shoulder, “Showing them how cool magic is, so it doesn’t freak them out, well Elena; Caroline knows I’m a witch.”

“Okay,” Bonnie nodded, going to the drawer and pulling out the remaining few candles. “Why do you have so many candles?” 

“Some shop had a closing down sale a few months ago,” Aella shrugged, arranging her candles. “Each one fifty cents. Caroline bought half, and I bought the other half.”

Bonnie smiled, wiping the wax from her hands after placing the final candles, “Done.” 

Aella walked over to Bonnie and looked around the room, lips pursed, “It’s missing something.”

Suddenly, Aella jumped, giggling at her thoughts, making her cousin jump. She ran to the corner of her room and pulled her childhood stuffed animals and dolls from the chair, placing them on the end of her bed and arranging them, so they were looking through the bars at the bottom of her bed. 

“Perfect!”

Bonnie looked at her bemusedly, “It’s this Elemental stuff because I have no clue what they-” she motioned to the toys “-could be for?”

Aella smiled fondly, “I honestly don’t know, it’s something my mom and dad used to do to get me to sleep at night.”

Bonnie reached out and squeezed her cousin’s hand, “Then it must be cool because aunt and uncle were awesome.”

“Of course they were,” Aella smiled back, heading to her door. “After all, they had me!”

As Aella left the room, Bonnie groaned to herself, following her cousin, “I walked right into that one.”

..............................................

..............................................   
  
“ **Caroline! Elena! Come up here!** ” Aella yelled from the top of the stairs and quickly pushed Bonnie back into her room.

“ _ She better not be wearing her pajamas, _ ” Bonnie and Aella heard Caroline muttered as she and Elena climbed the stairs.

“Wouldn’t _ surprise me, or Jenna, if she does _ ,” Elena muttered back.

“No trust,” Aella shook her head at Bonnie.

Caroline was first to enter the room and gasped at Aella’s outfit, “I love it!”

Elena followed her in and smiled at Aella’s outfit, too, “Lovely.”

“Thank you,” Aella smiled, curtsying at them.

Caroline then frowned, pointing down at her feet, “Those I do not love!” 

Aella pouted at her animal slippers, smiling at their cuteness, “The slippers stay, I have cold toes!”

“Just accept it, Caroline,” Elena chuckled, sitting on Aella’s bed next to Bonnie, frowning at the feathers. “Stefan’s got to learn who the real Aella is.”

“That’s what scares me,” Caroline scowled at the slippers. “Anyway!” She walked over to the white chair in the corner, sitting down, “Why have we been pulled away from 90210?” 

Aella raised an eyebrow at her cousin, “Bonnie?”

Bonnie took a deep breath looking between Caroline and Elena, “I...” she motioned between Aella and herself, “We need to swear you to secrecy.”

“Are you both okay?” Elena asked immediately, feeling a lump in her throat that something could be wrong.

Caroline looked over at Aella with a raised brow, and when Aella winked at her, she knew what Bonnie was about to share with the group. 

About time!

“We’re okay,” Bonnie smiled at her, taking her hands. “Swear, ’cause this is pretty big.”

Elena glanced over at Aella, and when she nodded, joy in her eyes, she chuckled, feeling the lump melt away. “Okay, I swear.”

“Caroline?” Bonnie looked at.

“Swear,” Caroline smiled.

Bonnie stood up, pulling Elena up and over to the seat Aella had just stood up from. “There are no windows open, right?”

“Right?” Elena frowned, sitting down on the bench, glancing at Caroline, who shrugged. 

“There’s no fan. No air conditioning.”

“None. What are you doing?”

Bonnie looked over at Aella, who nodded for her to continue, and Bonnie smiled over at her two best friends, “Watch.”

Bonnie held her hands over the feathers, and slowly one rose from the throw and floated for a few seconds before Bonnie lowered her hands.

“Bonnie?” Elena gasped at the trick.

Bonnie only smiled and raised her hands again, only this time with more feathers. Caroline and Aella watched with proud smiles as Bonnie played with the feathers before Bonnie allowed them to rest on the bed and looked over at Elena and Caroline. All of a sudden, all of the feathers rose from the bed, floating around Elena and Caroline.

“Oh my god,” Elena whispered, wide-eyed at the feathers, touching them in the air.

“This is seriously cool, Bonnie,” Caroline smiled, touching them too.

Bonnie chuckled and allowed the feathers to fall back on Aella’s bed, “It’s true. Everything my Grams told me. It’s impossible, and it’s true. I’m a witch.  _ We’re  _ witches.”

Elena grinned at her best friend, “I believe you.” She then frowned and quickly looked to a smirking Aella, leaned on her wardrobe, “We’re witches?”

“Aella’s got way more tricks than me,” Bonnie smiled proudly at her cousin. “Her parents were witches too.”

“Really?” Elena gasped.

Aella smirked and winked at Elena, as she did, all the candles in the room lit with flames.

“ **Oh my god!** ” Elena jumped up as Caroline and Bonnie laughed. She stepped over to Aella and took her hands, “You’re a witch?”

Aella’s smirk fell, for the first time, feeling a little scared that her best friend could hate her for not telling her this huge secret. “I wanted to, only Gra-” Aella could speak no more as Elena pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly.

“Aella, this is amazing,” Elena whispered in her ear.

“You’re not angry that I didn’t tell you?” Aella whispered back.

“It was your secret to tell,” Elena smiled into her hair. “I’m so glad you both trusted me enough to share it with me.”

They pulled away, and Aella quickly wiped the tear that left her eye, she looked over to Caroline and Bonnie. They were now standing together and also hugging.

“So, I get the candles and the feathers,” Caroline frowned, motioning towards the objects, but then pointed to the toys. “But what’s with Toys R Us?”

Elena looked to Bonnie, who just shrugged, “Don’t ask me, this is all Aella.”

Aella chuckled and picked up her phone from her vanity, “If you think the feather and candles were cool, check this out!”

She started scrolling through her phone and then nodded, placing it down on the vanity again; very soon, Lady Gaga’s started playing. Aella sat down on the stool. Elena had just vacated and raised her fingers just as the chorus played. Her three bears levitated, so their furry feet just rested on the metal bars at the bottom of her bed.

** _(Just dance,)_ ** the Bears held up their right furry arms up to the ceiling  ** _(gonna be okay)_ ** . They then pointed them across their bodies down to the floor  ** _(da da doo-doo-mmm)_ ** then back up to the ceiling doing the ‘Stayin Alive’ Disco move.

The girls all gasped at the sight of the Bears dancing to the music.

** _(Just dance,)_ ** the two dolls jumped between the Bears and started spinning in pirouettes  ** _(spin that record babe,)_ ** jumping over the Bears with the beats  ** _(da da doo-doo-mmm)_ ** ** _._ **

** _(Just dance, gonna be okay,)_ ** They all started to do the cancan  ** _(d-d-d-dance Dance, dance,)_ ** stopping just before the end of the chorus and bowing as the chorus ended  ** _(just, j-j-just dance)_ ** falling back onto the bed.

The girls looked over at Aella, mouths wide open.

“A,” Bonnie gasped. “I knew we could do cool things, but that! Was-”

“-Awesome!” Caroline cut in squealing, “That was like a movie!”

Aella blushed at the praise, “My parents used to do that for me.”

Elena took hold of Aella’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Her sadness entwined with her wonder at Aella’s display, “I really wish we could have met your mom and dad.”

“Me too,” she squeezed back, so happy to share her magic and piece of her parents with her loved ones.

“ **Girls!** ” Jenna shouted, obviously arriving home. “There’s ** a strange boy on the porch, I think his name is Stefan...** ”

“Stefan!” Aella squealed and ran out of the room.

“Aaand moment over,” Elena laughed.

“Guys,” Bonnie lowered her voice, and the other girls moved in closer. “That is pretty powerful stuff, like really powerful!”

Caroline frowned, concerned about her best friend, “Like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, powerful or Hermione Granger, powerful?”

Bonnie swallowed heavily, a sight that didn’t ease either girls’ worries, “Like god help if Aella gets upset powerful. Grams told me she’s the most powerful witch that she’s ever seen, and after that display, which was so simple for her. Aella is more powerful than her and more powerful than our ancestor Emily Bennett... maybe even one of the most powerful witches that ever existed.”

  
..............................................

..............................................

  
Dinner with Jenna, which was Chinese, was a relaxed atmosphere. Jenna, understanding now that she was the cool Aunt and not the intimidating fake momma, chatted with Stefan like he was a regular teenager... not the boy potentially having sex with her adopted niece.

“So, I hear you made friends with Mr. Tanner?” Jenna playfully asked as they all finished the last bits on their plates.

Stefan chuckled, looking over at Aella as she tried picking up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks, “Yeah, Aella was able to show me his true colors.”

Both he and Jenna looked over at Aella as she huffed in frustration and instead stabbed the chicken and pulled it up to her mouth with a triumphant grin. Jenna smiled softly at her, “Aella tends to do that to people.”

He nodded, taking a sip of his coke, “She’s really made me come out of my brooding shell.”

Jenna turned her soft smile to him, “Aella mentioned you both have a few things in common.”

“Excluding the brother that likes to keep me on my toes,” Stefan nodded, “but yeah, pretty much the same regarding our parents.”

Jenna nodded then grinned, hoping to shock Stefan a little, “I know by now Aella has spent a few late nights at your house.” Stefan quickly shook his head, and Jenna scoffed, holding her hand up before he lied to her. “Don’t tell me she hasn’t because she doesn’t come back smiling like she won the lottery every time she sleeps at Caroline’s or Bonnie’s. Just please look after her, she may be this fearless person, but she’s still a teenage girl who has already lost an awful lot.”

Stefan nodded, taking in her words, “Jenna, in the past week and a half, Aella has wormed her way into my life; she’s made me smile and laugh more than I have in a long time.” He placed his cutlery down and looked into Jenna’s eyes, surprising her at the honesty, “I would never intentionally hurt her. Should I ever unintentionally hurt her, it would be one of the worst mistakes in my entire life.”

Jenna nodded and placed her hand on one of his that rested on the table, “Thank you for being honest with me.”

Stefan shrugged, squeezing her hand back, “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”

“You know, you and Aella suit each other quite well,” Jenna nodded, letting go of his hand and taking a sip of her water.

“Oh yeah?” Stefan raised his brow at her.

“Yeah,” Jenna nodded, smiling at the reference in her head. “You two are like...”

“ **-Carrots and Peas!** ” Aella cut in, leaning into Stefan and smiling broadly, as she looked from Stefan to Jenna.

Stefan kissed Aella’s head with a chuckle while Jenna smiled in bewilderment at the two, “What?”

“Carrots and peas,” Aella shrugged, kissing Stefan’s cheek. “I heard ‘you two are like...’ and I could only think of how I love carrots and peas together.”

“Jenna was about to compare us to something when you chimed in,” Stefan explained to Aella, who nodded, now understanding the conversation.

“I like mine,” Aella smiled then looked over to Jenna. “What was your’s Jenna?”

Jenna took a quick glance at Caroline, before lowering her voice to the two, as they leaned in, “Uncle Jesse and Joey.”

“Wow!” Aella pulled back in shock before looking to Stefan, hand on heart, “That’s such an honor.”

Stefan pulled Aella under his arm, so her head rested on his chest, “You’re so cute!”

“You're both cute,” Jenna agreed, placing her cutlery on her empty plate. “Makes me sick!”

“Makes us all sick!” Caroline chimed in, smirking, as the other girls started noticing Aella and Stefan becoming more cutesy.

Seeing everyone’s plates empty, Jenna started to stand up, “So what’s up next, coffee, or are you all going out?”

“Coffee?” Stefan looked to Aella, who nodded quickly. 

“Yup,” she stood up, placing his plate on hers.

Elena saw Jenna helping and quickly held her hand up, “We’ll clean this up, Aunt Jenna, after all, you got the food.”

Stefan agreed and tilted his head to the sitting room, “You go and relax.”

Jenna looked to Aella as she pointed at Stefan, “I like him. I approve.”

Stefan grinned while Aella chuckled, looking up at Stefan, “Thanks, I like him too.”

Jenna promptly made her way to the family room and left the two love birds at the table. At the same time, Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena ran into the kitchen to pretend to clean up, while also spying on the two.

“Thanks for coming tonight,” Aella beamed up at her boyfriend.

“Thanks for the invite,” Stefan smiled back, leaning down and kissing her.

When they pulled away after a few moments, Aella asked what she’d been desperate to know since he arrived, “Was Damon there?” 

Stefan looked over his shoulder at the other girls, who quickly went back to cleaning as if they weren’t eavesdropping. Motioning over to the stairway, he pulled her through the doorway, “Damon was at the house when I went to get changed.”

“And?” 

Stefan shrugged, still confused by his brothers retreating words, “He’s up to something. His tone worried me.”

Aella took his face in her hand, moving his head, so his eyes met hers, “Whatever he’s up to, we’ll deal with it together, okay?”

Stefan nodded and kissed her lips once more, whispering against her soft lips, “Okay.”

**Ding Dong**

“Who’s that?” Aella frowned, and Stefan shrugged, also frowning. They watched as Jenna opened the door, only to be greeted with the smiling face of Damon Salvatore.

“ _ What the hell! _ ” Aella muttered as Damon’s eyes met hers, before looking back to Jenna with an even smugier smile.

“You must be Jenna,” Damon smiled wide, holding his hand out to Jenna. “I’m Damon Salvatore, Stefan’s older brother, and Aella’s friend.”

“Damon?” Jenna repeated, astounded this was Stefan’s brother. What was in these boys’ DNA? “Please come-”

“Damon?” Stefan sped over to the door, interrupting Jenna before she could invite his brother in. “What are you doing here?”

Damon smirked, smiling down at Jenna, “Hoping, the lovely, Jenna here, will invite me in so we can all get to know each other?”

Jenna laughed, “I know people like you, Damon. Baby blue eyes that attract all the women.”

“We’re just... finishing up,” Stefan tried to stop Jenna from saying the words that would make his brother all too happy.

“It’s fine,” Jenna grinned up at Stefan, thinking he was just being courteous. “Just come on in. We were just about to have coffee.”

“Thank you, Jenna,” Damon smiled at Jenna, and as he stepped over the doorway, smirking over at Aella and Stefan as he did so.

..............................................

..............................................

Caroline’s face was a picture when she walked into the sitting room to see Damon talking with Jenna. Thankfully, Aella, with her quick reflexes and powers, was able to save the hot coffee before it spilled everywhere.

Leaving Elena and Bonnie with Jenna and Damon, Aella pulled Caroline back to the kitchen, where Stefan waited for them. Caroline felt sick, then scared, and then the anger filled her body. Her eyes filled with angry tears as she watched Aella place the two cups on the kitchen table.

“What the hell is he doing here?” 

Aella shrugged helplessly, while Stefan answered for the two of them, “We’re not sure.”

“Stefan tried to stop Jenna from inviting him in...” Aella stuck up for her boyfriend, walking closer to Caroline and taking hold of her hand. “But-”

“-Jenna’s a nice person that would invite in one of Stefan’s only relatives,” Caroline interrupted her best friend with an understanding nod.

“Do you want me to take you home?” Stefan asked her, not wanting her to be uncomfortable. Aella smiled over at him in thanks.

“No,” Caroline shook her head, squeezing Aella’s hand. “Thank you, Stefan, but if he’s going to be a dick about all this, I’m going to show him I don’t care!”

“That’s my girl!” Aella smiled proudly. 

“ _ And what a girl she is _ ,” Damon interrupted, smirking at the three.

Caroline snarled in his direction, stepping over to him. “Damon,” she smiled at him through gritted teeth.

“Caroline,” he replied back, smirking.

Caroline ground her teeth before raising her foot and stamping it on Damon’s, inwardly grinning at the wince on his face, as she walked back into the sitting room. Aella and Stefan snorted proudly at the move, while Damon shook his foot to return the feeling back into his toes. Looking up at Aella, she shrugged innocently, “Maybe she thought there was a bug.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	19. Even Helen Keller wouldn't be able to ignore him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC GRILL **

Jeremy walked into the Grill just as Tyler approached Vicki, squeezing her ass. Jeremy felt uncomfortable, stopped in place, looked back over his shoulder to the exit, and then to the notebook in his hand. After hearing the girly giggles from the women in the house, he’d left the house. He needed to study in peace and stupidly thought he could do this at the Grill.

Over Vicki’s shoulder, Tyler saw Jeremy and pulled away from Vicki. His behavior at the party in the woods and at the comet had embarrassed him now he was able to think it over. Matt had talked sense into him that Jeremy had dropped the drugs and was trying to get clean again, plus he’d left Vicki alone since she chose him; Tyler had to respect that.

Jeremy saw him pull away and thought for a second Tyler was going to try and hit him, when Tyler nodded over at him, “Gilbert.”

Jeremy nodded his head back as he walked past, heading to the high tables near the pool tables. Matt, who was also watching the scene from the pool tables, smiled proudly at Tyler; finally, his best friend was growing up.

“You okay, little J?” Matt asked Jeremy as he sat on the tall table closest to his pool table.

Jeremy nodded, placing his books on the table. He glanced over at Tyler, who was now walking away from Vicki before looking back to Matt, “Yeah, man.”

“You wanna play a game?” Matt gestured to the pool cue he was holding.

Jeremy opened his mouth to answer until Tyler stepped up next to Matt, “Thanks-” he gestured to his books, “-but I gotta study.”

“Can’t do that at home?” Tyler asked, which freaked Jeremy and Matt out how casual the question was.

“Jenna demanded a get-to-know-Stefan dinner,” Jeremy scowled. “The giggling got annoying.”

Matt raised an eyebrow, “Aella giggles?”

Jeremy smirked, “Aella was hiding in my room until Caroline found her.”

Tyler snorted, “That sounds better.” He gestured to Matt’s pool cue, “Sure, you don’t want a game?”

Jeremy saw the olive branch and hesitantly nodded, “Next game? Let me just do a bit of studying.”

“Deal.” Tyler smiled and looked to Matt, “Set the table up, Donovan.”

**GILBERT RESIDENCE**

“I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team,” Caroline smirked at the memory of today. “Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it.”

“That’s what I always tell him,” Damon chimed in from his position next to Elena. “You have to engage. You can’t just sit there and wait for life to come to you.” He looked at Elena raising his eyebrows, “You have to go get it.”

“Yeah,” Elena nodded with him. “I feel the same way, it’s why I was so insistent on Stefan asking Tanner.”

Damon leaned in playfully to Elena, a move that un-eased Caroline, Aella, and Stefan. “So it’s your fault he’s become a jock head!”

“Guilty,” she flirted back with a broad smile.

Damon turned to Elena, the fake sympathy looking so real, but the three people who knew Damon better saw how fake he was acting. “I’m sorry to hear about your parents passing, Elena. I know what it’s like to lose both your parents.” He looked to Stefan, ignoring the sharp stares coming from the couple sitting together, “In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we’ve ever cared about die. 

“We don’t need to get into that right now, Damon,” Stefan chimed in, and Aella nodded in agreement.

“Yeah,” Aella smiled through clenched teeth. “No one likes a party pooper Damon.”

“Oh,” Damon gasped, holding his chest. “You know what, you’re both right, I’m sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring _ her _up.”

Jenna leaned forward, a wide smirk on her face. Her coffee had been given to Damon, and a large glass of wine that had been put in her hands was now empty, “Well, I’m still getting to know if Stefan is good enough for my niece, so spill Damon.”

Aella scowled over at Jenna while Damon winced pathetically at Stefan, “Sorry, Stef. The Aunt has spoken.”

“He’s speaking of Katherine,” Stefan cut in before Damon could twist things. He glanced from Aella, squeezing her hand over to Jenna, looking at her face to face so she could understand the pain Katherine had caused him. “Katherine dated Damon and me at the same time,” He ignored the glare now coming from Damon for cutting to the heavy stuff first. “She played us off against one another until she died.”

The mood dropped in the room, and Jenna could understand the scowl Aella was sending her way, “I’m so sorry, Stefan.”

“It’s okay,” Stefan held his hand up to her, he looked down at Aella who was stroking his jean-clad leg. “Aella has shown me what a girlfriend _ really _is like.”

“How did she die?” Bonnie asked gently, then quickly backtracked, looking between Stefan and Damon, “If you don’t mind me asking?”

“A fire,” Damon answered, staring at Stefan rather than Bonnie. He shook his head, remembering his pretense of winning Elena’s friends and family around and turned to Bonnie, matching her own gentle smile, “A tragic fire.”

“Recently?” Elena asked, placing a hand on his arm.

Damon looked down at her hand, before looking up to Elena’s concerned eyes, “It seems like it was yesterday.”

Aella looked up at Stefan, a disgusted look on her face. How did anyone believe the fake emotion Damon was performing?

Stefan shook his head, to calm her down and leaned down to whisper in her hair, “_ Ignore him _.”

“_ Even Helen Keller wouldn’t be able to ignore him _,” Aella muttered back.

**AELLA'S CAR**

** **

“Okay, people,” Aella clapped once they were all in her car and turned to the occupants. “Members of Stefan’s personal cheerleading team?”

“**Here!**” Jeremy and Elena mumbled, raising their hands unenthusiastically, while Stefan just chuckled.

“Homemade posters for our own football star?”

“Yes,” Jeremy held up the posters he’d created.

“And finally, our very own most awesomest football player?”

Aella looked over at Stefan this time, Stefan raised his hand as Jeremy and Elena had done, “Here.”

“Great!” She declared, putting the car into drive and started driving to school, which was quite depressing as it was a Saturday.

For the past week and a half, Aella watched Stefan play football gearing up for the big Saturday game and keeping her boyfriend and herself fitter by working out in their spare time. It was also spent, allowing Caroline to get used to the fact her best friend’s boyfriend was a vampire, and the guy she once liked was also a vampire that had tried drinking her blood. Aella and Bonnie were also plagued with the same dreams and visions of the numbers, that they still couldn’t understand. 

Aella and Stefan were now sleeping at each other’s house most nights. Nothing had happened... yet. It was only after Aella had woken up gasping for air and breathing heavily for the fourth consecutive night, Stefan finally asked what was keeping his girlfriend from a good night’s sleep.

..............................................

**FLASHBACK**

_ ‘ _ Keep breathing, Aella, keep breathing _ ,’ Aella repeated in her head like a mantra while she ran. _

_ She jumped over a fallen tree and continued running along the path, nature had created, ducking under a low branch she snuck a glance behind her to see where Stefan was. _

_ Or wasn’t. _

_ Stumbling over her feet, Aella stopped unable to see her boyfriend. _

_ “Gotcha!” Stefan laughed, appearing out of nowhere and grabbing Aella round the waist spinning her in circles. _

_ “Stefan!” Aella giggled at the move until he put her down. _

_ Quickly she turned and slapped his muscled arm that was uncovered thanks to him wearing a tank top. He held the spot, faking pain while Aella rolled her eyes and kissed his pouting lips. _

_ “Can this be the prize every time I catch you?” Stefan mumbled against her lips. His arms wrapped themselves around her waist and lifted her easily, so she wasn’t straining. _

_ “Only if you wear that top again,” Aella mumbled back. _

_ Stefan pulled back with a raised eyebrow, “Only if you wear those shorts again.” _

_ “Agreed,” Aella giggled, and Stefan pushed her up, so she was looking down at him. _

_ Leaning down, she began kissing him again. He slowly moved them over to one of the trees and rested her back softly against the bark. After a few minutes of them kissing, Stefan pulled back, stroking her loose hair strand around her ear as she breathed heavily. _

_ “What’s been waking you up every night?” Stefan mumbled, stroking her cheek. “Vision?” _

_ “Ugh,” she moaned, throwing her head back gently against the tree. “Vision. Pain in the ass. Bane of my existence... Take your pick.” _

_ Stefan gently let her down and led Aella over to the fallen tree she had jumped over previously. Sitting down, he looked at her pointedly to explain. _

_ Aella rolled her eyes, “Ever since we saved Caroline, I’ve seen these same three numbers repeatedly. I see them when I’m asleep, I see them when I close my eyes.” _

_ Stefan watched as his girlfriend placed her head in her hands, groaning in frustration, “What numbers?” _

_ She looked up at him, but her mind was elsewhere, glancing down at her hands she glanced back up to Stefan. Aella shuffled round to face him more, “Do you mind if I try something?” _

_ Stefan agreed without a thought, “Anything.” _

_ Looking down at her hands once more, she wiggled her fingers before placing them on Stefan’s temples. Massaging the space, Aella closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and Stefan followed suit. _

_ As Stefan closed his eyes, the usual black space greeted him until Aella let out an audible gasp. The black range quickly changed to a repetition of three numbers; eight, fourteen, and twenty-two. The names changed their shape and look, but it was always the same three numbers; eight, fourteen, and twenty-two. Engraved on the floor. Drawn on a piece of paper. Spray-painted on the pavement. Written on a hand. The numbers repeated themselves as Aella’s powers shared how many times she had seen the numbers. _

_ Pulling back from Stefan, both Aella and Stefan were breathing heavily; the two said nothing to each other. As they continued to catch their breath while staring intensely into each other’s eyes, Aella wasn’t sure how the hell she did that. The feeling of ecstasy that followed was new to her, it felt so pure, and from the lines forming around Stefan’s eyes, she knew he felt it also. And when he grabbed Aella, pulling her lips onto his, the two were enveloped by the feelings of the moment they had shared. _

..............................................

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH**

“Let’s** be honest here** ,” Tanner announced to the gathering crowd. “ **In the past, we used to let other teams come into our town and roll right over us!**”

“**Boooooo!**” Aella, Elena, and Jeremy yelled with the rest of the growing crowd.

“**But that is about to change. We’ve got some great new talent tonight starting on the offense, and I’m gonna tell you right now, it has been a long time since I have seen a kid like this with hands like these.**”

Aella’s looked over from a blushing Stefan to Caroline, who was playing flirty eyes with Matt.

“**Let’s** ** give it up for Stefan Salvatore!**”

Aella and Elena stood front and center, holding up their Stefan banner as Aella proudly wore her boyfriend’s jersey. Ask anyone a few months ago if Aella Bennett was cheering at a football game; the world would be inevitably ending. But Aella didn’t care, she wanted to give her boyfriend a happy life for once, and if that included cheering for him as he played football, she would do that for him.

Jeremy laughed at his sister and adopted sister; his eyes were drawn towards the cheerleaders, specifically the other Bennett girl. 

Bonnie stood center with Caroline as she chanted the Timberwolves first game chant. 

Tyler knocked into Jeremy, smirking. The younger boy shook his head and quickly looked from Bonnie to Tyler’s smug face, “Careful Gilbert, I hear her cousin is pretty overprotective.”

Jeremy laughed, pushing the football player back, following him to the other players as they chatted before the game.

Aella stepped away from Stefan and the other players, smiling to herself as she walked to her car. Stefan was smiling more and more, and the frowns were becoming less and less as the days went by. Getting some gum out of her vehicle Aella was about to go back to Stefan when she heard the sarcastic tones of her boyfriend’s brother. He had been surprisingly MIA since he bombarded their get-to-know-Stefan dinner. Peeking around her car, she could see Damon talking to someone, but she couldn’t see who.

“_ Yes, it is. Otherwise, you wouldn’t put an alternate meaning behind everything you say. _”

Elena?

“You’re_ right. I do have other intentions, but so do you. _”

Elena talking to Damon? 

Without force?

“_ Really? _”

“_ Mm-hmm. I see ’em. You want me. _”

Aella was disgusted by the sick flirting Damon was throwing at Elena, was her best friend falling for this? She looked around more of her car to see Elena leaned against Bonnie’s car, with Damon using his body to trap her. From the smile on Elena’s face, she actually liked it.

Her best friend really needed to get her priorities straight!

“I get to you,” Damon smirked, shifting closer to Elena. Now, Elena was looking a little uncomfortable, and Aella flexed her fingers in preparation for saving Elena if need be. “ You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me, even when you don’t want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me. And right now...You want to kiss me. ”

Damon was compelling her!

Aella jumped from her spot just as Elena’s hand hit Damon’s cheek with a loud; **Smack**!

“Ooohhh,” Aella winced after returning to her hiding place. That was beautiful.

“**What the hell?**” Elena shouted, rubbing her stinging hand on her jean skirt. “I don’t know what game you’re trying to play here thinking I’m someone of your past, but I don’t want to be part of it. And I don’t know what happened in the past, but let’s get one thing straight... I am not Katherine.”

Aella laughed to herself as Elena walked away from Damon. Damon scowled after her before making his way towards the school. She couldn’t wait to tell Stefan. 

Looking down at the floor, she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. As her eyes adjusted from the blurriness from her tears, they focused on the painted number in the car space. Twenty-four? Why did that number look familiar?

Bending down to touch the number, she gasped as she was pulled into a vision again:

..............................................

_ Like a camera moving in a film, the number Aella had been staring at in the car lot advanced along two spaces until it stopped above Space Twenty-two. _

_ Twenty-two was a car space?! _

_ But who’s? _

_ Finally, her visions decided to help her, as numbers and letters formed one by one. ‘BLDG 8,’ displayed before her and then disappeared as quickly as it appeared to form another set of letters and numbers; ‘FHT 14’. The image flashed, showing a car, specifically a BMW, with the license plate showing clearly; ‘FHT 14’. _

_ The last vision is what scared her the most, as all three numbers formed into one image; the car, the parking space, and the sign. Yet it was the person standing in spot Twenty-two staring directly at her was a man she had jokingly named her enemy. Furthermore, a feeling of pure dread saturated her as the face of Mr. Tanner stared her down; terror in his eyes as blood flowed from his neck. _

..............................................

Aella was pulled out of the vision with a gasp and found herself on the floor with Bonnie knelt in front of her.

“Aella,” Bonnie shook her. “Aella!”

“Bonnie?” She breathlessly asked. “How did you know?”

Bonnie shook her head confused, relief filling her as Aella finally answered, “I heard you in my head and felt your fear, are you okay?”

“No,” Aella confessed tearfully, standing up with the help of her cousin. “I know what the numbers mean.”

“What do they mean?”

Aella only shook her head and pulled Bonnie to the space, pointing at the sign, the parking space, and the car plate.

“Whoa!” Bonnie sighed in relief that the mystery was over until she recalled the terror on her cousin’s face and the panic surrounding her now. “But what does it mean?”

Aella missed the question, staring at the spot in her vision, the place that was filled with blood from the wound on Tanner’s neck, dripping loudly as the blood puddle expanded.

“_ Aella? _”

“What?” Aella asked, shaking her head from the horrifying image.

“What does it mean?” Bonnie softly asked as the horror in her cousin’s eyes scared her.

“Nothing good,” Aella monotonously replied, staring at the spot again. 

Hearing the whistle on the field blow, Aella shook her head to clear all the images that wildly flashed before her. “Nothing good.”

Before Bonnie could question her cousin, Aella ran back towards the football field. Her words echoing in her mind...

Nothing good.

  
..............................................

..............................................

  
“Stefan!” Aella shouted amongst the football players, tears rolling down her face. “Stefan!”

“Stefan,” she sobbed, only to be pulled into the familiar arms of her boyfriend.

“What’s wrong?” Stefan pulled her close as she sobbed into his chest. “Aella?”

“It’s Tanner,” he could make out through her sobs.

“What’s Tanner?” He pulled back, worried as he wiped her tears away. He had never seen her like this before.

“The vision,” she swallowed her sobs, leaning into his hands. “Somethings going to happen to Tanner tonight, the car lot has all the numbers.”

“Tonight? The car lot? Are you sure?” 

Aella nodded in his hands, and Stefan held her close. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead, stroking her back to help calm her breathing down as he looked around. 

“Okay,” Stefan nodded. “Well, Tanner is here-” He stopped talking and started looking around. 

“What?” Aella questioned, pulling back slightly when he stopped talking.

“Tanner was there-” Stefan pointed to where Tyler and Matt were laughing, “-but now he’s gone.” He pulled back looking around to analyze the space, “We have to find him, it’ll be quicker if we split up, are you okay to do that?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, pulling away, frowning at the taste of her salty tears as she licked her lips.

“Okay,” he nodded, hands still on her arms. “I’ll check the car lot you mentioned, you look around here, it’s more likely he’s just planning the game.”

Aella hoped so.

Splitting up, they both checked their nominated spaces. Aella had asked most of the groups surrounding the field if they’d seen Tanner, and all of them said he had been just there, every time she had missed him by minutes. 

Suddenly a chill took hold of her body, and Aella knew precisely where she needed to be. Running back to the car lot as quickly as she could in heeled boots, she ignored the complaints of those she shoved past. Just as she got into the car lot, Aella could see Stefan and Damon talking. Damon moved right into space twenty-two, his fangs bare as he rushed towards William Tanner, who was stood precisely between building eight, parking space twenty-two, and the BMW with the car plate, FHT 14.

“No,” Aella whispered in disbelief as Damon’s fangs punctured Tanner’s throat. 

Damon looked up at her whisper, blood surrounding his mouth. Aella felt her breath pause and her eyes growing wide at the sight of the hunger and thrill in Damon’s eyes. At her pause, her hand, which was about to send him flying, allowed Damon to speed over her.

“Not gonna happen again, Pixie Witchy!” He growled and picked her up, throwing her into the dumpster.

“Aella!” Stefan yelled, speeding over to the dumpster. 

Damon smirked and casually walked back over to Tanner, who was now crawling to the field. “Tut tut tut, Coach!” Damon smirked at the man’s desperation. 

Aella winced as Stefan shook her body, the sharp pain in her head making her feel sick. Stefan had pulled her out of the dumpster, and looking over her shoulder, she saw Damon pick up Tanner and bite into his neck with more vigor.

“**Aaaaggggghhhhhhhhhh!**” Aella screamed in horror at the action.

Suddenly, Damon dropped to the floor next to the lifeless William Tanner, holding his head tightly as his brain felt like it was being split in two. Stefan stared in astonishment as Aella’s scream seemed to last forever and seemed to bring his brother to his knees in pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	20. That's like the world's fattest man giving dieting tips, Damon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH**   
  


When Aella stopped screaming, she fell into Stefan, overwhelmed by the events, and the pain in Damon’s head stopped, yet still reverberated. Damon glared over at Aella, who could only scowl in his direction, face wet with tears as a red lump began forming on her forehead. 

Damon glanced over to Stefan, trying to ignore the pain still in his head, “Hope you finally understand now, _ bro _.”

Stefan watched his brother speed off and looked down at Aella, fingers gently stroking the bump forming, “Are you okay?”

Aella shook her head and turned into his arms sobbing, and Stefan could only hold onto her tighter, rocking her, relieved that Damon hadn’t used Aella to make his point as well.

The sound of footsteps grey near, as those who heard Aella’s screams, ran to make sure she was okay. Caroline, Matt, and a few football players, who were the closest to the car lot, reached them first. Caroline located her best friend curled up with Stefan and sprinted over to them, about to question what had occurred when Matt gasped in horror, “**Oh my god!**”

Caroline looked up from her knelt position next to Aella to see the legs of a person, sticking out from the side of a car.

“It’s Tanner,” Stefan told her, over Aella’s sobs.

“What!” Caroline exclaimed, tears filling her eyes. “But he was jus-”

“-Damon did it to prove a point.” Stefan interrupted her.

Caroline covered her mouth in horror, “And-” she motioned with her eyes to her best friend.

“I couldn’t stop it,” Aella confessed, pulling away from Stefan to look at her best friend. “All these powers and I couldn’t stop it, C.”

Caroline nodded, her heart hurting with how much pain her best friend was in. Holding out her arms, Aella fell into them and started sobbing again.

Stefan held up his phone to Caroline. She held her best friend tight and kissed her head, just as Aella had done with her following her confrontation with Damon less than twenty-four hours ago, “I’m calling 911.” 

Bonnie ran over just as the ambulance arrived and the paramedics looked over Tanner. She saw her cousin staring lifelessly at the scene in Caroline’s arms as Stefan stood on her other side while Matt and Tyler stood next to Caroline. Bonnie had been laughing with some of the other cheerleaders when news started to spread. Stopping in her spot, she looked to the space Tanner’s body laid, where she and Aella had stood in only thirty minutes ago.

“Oh no,” she gasped at the sight, tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s_ not your fault. _” Bonnie jumped at the voice and turned to see Stefan standing there, “You and Aella may look very different from each other, but you both have the same ‘self-blame’ face.”

Bonnie glanced over his shoulder and saw her cousin was now missing. Stefan gestured to when Aella just was, “Caroline took Aella to her car.”

Bonnie nodded, yet still said nothing.

“This was not your fault,” he repeated.

Bonnie nodded, “I know.” She then frowned, “Who found him?”

“Aella,” Stefan confessed. “I heard her screams and quickly found her.”

Bonnie couldn’t explain it, be somewhere deep inside her body, she felt Stefan was lying. About what? She didn’t know, but in those eight words he confessed to her, there was more to this story.

And she was going to find out.

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**   
  
Caroline and Bonnie took Aella and Stefan home when they realized Elena and Jeremy had left already in Aella’s car. Jenna took hold of a sobbing Aella as soon as they stepped into the house, Stefan having called Jenna on the way so she would be aware.

Jeremy and Elena were still MIA. According to Tyler, Vicki had shown up at the game, and Jeremy was still finding it a little challenging to be around the blonde. So Elena, with her spare pair of Aella’s car keys, had taken Jeremy somewhere else. The group believed Elena assumed Aella and Stefan would just car share with Caroline or Matt, as they all had a spare key for each other’s car, should there be a need for it.

Caroline and Bonnie quickly made up some hot chocolate for the group. Aella had settled into Stefan’s safe arms, mind still numb from the events. She didn’t want to be dramatic, but someone had been killed in front of her. So what, if she hated Tanner; no one deserved to die - especially that way. Damon treated him as a plaything, just to prove his humanity was gone. He hated Stefan so much that he would kill someone innocent so viciously. 

The moment had been going round and round in Aella’s head since Damon had staggered off. She wouldn’t allow him to do this again, she wouldn’t hesitate. She wouldn’t be as affected. If he ever put a hand on her family, she would kill him without thought.

“To Mr. Tanner,” Jenna held her hot chocolate to the center of the group.

“To Mr. Tanner,” Aella repeated through sniffles, then smirked. “An asshole who is really gonna give my Mom and Dad such a lecture in heaven.”

The group sniggered at the thought and clicked their mugs with Jenna’s and Aella’s, “**Mr. Tanner.**”

As they all took their first sip of hot chocolate, the front door opened, and Elena and Jeremy walked in laughing, large sodas in their hands. When they saw the group and Aella’s tear-stained face, they stopped in their tracks.

“What’s happened?” Elena was quick to ask, she knew that look, it was never a good feeling look.

Jenna smiled softly at the two and stood up, leading them into the kitchen, “There was an accident at the game-” That was the last Aella heard as Jenna shut the doors.

It was clear to Jenna that no one would be leaving Aella on her own that night, and from the tight clinging onto Stefan’s arms, he wouldn’t be going either. Jenna rubbed Stefan’s shoulder in comfort as Aella dozed off on his chest, she knew that the caring boy had been sleeping in her adopted niece’s bed and vice versa the past week. She also knew, from Aella, that nothing was happening, and it was all about getting comfort from him. Jenna was happy that Aella had been honest with her, which was why she said nothing when Stefan picked Aella up with ease and carried her upstairs to her room, the girls following.

Stefan left the sleeping Aella to her best friends after he placed her on her bed, stepping out so they could change her. Caroline, worried for her best friend’s mental state, had slipped Aella a couple of sleeping pills to calm her down, which she admitted to Stefan and the other girls when Stefan placed Aella down on the bed, and she didn’t stir at all.

“I didn’t think it would knock her out _ this _ badly,” was the blondes excuse. 

While Stefan brushed his teeth, with the brush Jenna had given - her way of acknowledging his sleepovers with Aella, the girls got his girlfriend ready for bed. Stefan had already decided he would watch over the girls tonight, like a caring boyfriend. However, it was also in case Damon attacked. His brother had made his point very clear, but Aella had also caused him a lot of pain without even comprehending. Stefan worried that Damon would attack just for the sake of attacking, and Stefan wasn’t going to risk that.

When he exited the bathroom and saw Aella’s door open, he knew this was the girls letting him know that they were all decent. Stefan had taken to leaving his journal and some books in Aella’s room; he planned to read and write in his journal throughout the night. 

Elena and Bonnie were fast asleep, Bonnie, cuddled up to her cousin. As one bookend, Caroline lay on the other side of Aella, while Elena, the second bookend, cuddled up close to Bonnie. Aella was wrapped tightly around her most precious friend, Caroline, who stroked her hair in comforting motion for Aella, as she sighed peacefully in her sleep. 

Stefan smiled at the action as he set up his spot on Aella’s big comfy reading chair in the corner opposite her bed, fairy lights were strung on the wall to create a reading nook for the day and night. Each night Stefan would sleepover, the more the nook became his space, and Aella allowed it to be his space. Aella had moved in a small bookshelf that was crammed with his books; a small coaster sat on the top for his coffees to ease his cravings, as well as several pens for when he wrote a thought into the book’s margins or when he updated his journal. She had even placed a dark blanket over the chair to hide its flower designs to make it more manly. Stefan loved it and appreciated Aella so much more for doing such a small thing that meant so much.

“What will you be doing tonight?” Caroline asked him, which startled him from his thoughts.

He looked up at her, but she was still staring down at Aella, “I’ll read and do some writing.”

Caroline chuckled, looking up at him, motioning to the chair he now sat in, “Aella’s calls that, your spot.”

Stefan smiled at the title, “Yeah, I’m surprised there isn’t a sign declaring it.”

“There will be,” Caroline admitted, very confident.

Stefan was not fooled, “She ordered a sign, didn’t she.”

Caroline laughed a little louder at the knowledge in his voice; he was beginning to understand her best friend so quickly. “She made a sign,” she admitted through giggles.

The laughter stopped too soon. As Caroline returned to watching Aella, she asked Stefan, “He’s not going to hurt her, is he?”

Stefan didn’t even have to ask who, and with all the confidence in the world, told her, “On my life, he will never hurt her.”

Caroline nodded, accepting the answer, she shuffled down and held Aella close, “Goodnight, Stefan.”

“Goodnight, Caroline.”

...................................  
...................................   
  
Stefan wrote in his diary as he watched the four girls sleep. In all his years, he had never seen any relationship like the girls in the bed had. Unconsciously they were all facing Aella, and their free arms were almost cocooning her for safety.

.................................................

I thought there was hope. That somewhere deep inside something in Damon was still human. Love. But I was wrong. 

There is nothing human left in Damon. No good. No kindness. No Love. Only a monster that must be stopped. 

.................................................

Stefan raised his head when he heard one of the four heartbeats begin to speed up, thinking it was Aella having a bad dream. He promptly turned on the small lamp next to him just in time to see Elena wake with a gasp.

“Are you okay, Elena,” he whispered hesitantly.

Elena’s eyes met his own, but they were not afraid like Stefan thought may have been from a nightmare but of disappointment.

“Yeah,” Elena sighed back with a slight frown on her face. It was like she could feel Damon in the room with her, stroking her face. Yet he wasn’t.

She smiled softly, looking over at her best friend and then to Stefan, “You actually stayed.”

Stefan nodded at her statement, looking to Aella, “I promised her I would.”

“I’m happy she has you,” she stated.

“I’m happy I have her,” Stefan emphasized, hoping she would understand Aella was all he wanted.

Elena nodded and settled back down into her pillow, “Night, Stefan.”

“Good night Elena,” he smiled back, looking back at his book. 

When he felt someone’s eyes on him, he thought it was Elena’s at first as she tried to get back to sleep, but the ability to ‘ignore’ the stare was too much. He was pleasantly surprised when his eyes met, not Elena’s, but his girlfriend’s soft smile.

“We didn’t get to do our nightly routine schedule,” she croaked out from sleep, and the emotional night she had endured.

Stefan stared for a second, wondering what she was talking about until two names came to his mind, and he couldn’t help but grin, “Goodnight, Glinda.”

Aella looked to him, longingly, “Goodnight, Dracula.”

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

** **

It had been a week since Tanners’ accidental’ death by an animal attack which had shocked the small town. Tanner’s extended family had taken his body to be buried in his home town. Still, the Principal thought it best the students of Mystic Falls High should be able to say goodbye to such a beloved teacher and asked Caroline and Matt to plan something.

So the blonde duo planned a small memorial service on Friday evening exactly one week after the attack had occurred. It was a strange feeling for many of the students that attended, Aella included. Tanner’s death was a horrible incident that scared Aella, not because it was Tanner, but because when Damon attacked, she realized pure evil existed. That fear was still frozen in her bones.

“It was a beautiful memorial, Care,” Aella smiled as she and Caroline walked out of school arm in arm towards the parking lot.

“Thanks,” Caroline squeezed her arm.

“But-”

“-oh no,” Caroline interrupted, shaking her head at Aella’s ‘but.’

“You couldn’t have expected just a compliment, Care,” Elena smirked as she, Bonnie and Stefan walked behind the pair.

Aella turned towards the other three turning Caroline with her, “Erm, excuse me, can I finish my sentence?”

“No!” “Yes.” Caroline and Elena said in sync.

“I’ll take the yes,” Aella smirked at Caroline. “What I was going to say was, it was a beautiful service, but I found it really weird not to feel sad at a memorial service.”

“**Aella!**”

Stefan snorted quietly at his girlfriend’s honesty as the other girls scolded her.

“What?” The brunette shrugged innocently. “Tanner and I didn’t have the best relationship, and me then crying at his memorial feeling ‘sad’ felt immoral. Make sense?”

“Perfect,” Stefan smiled, putting his arm around her and leaving the other three girls as they absorbed Aella words that actually rang true.

Bonnie looked to Elena and Caroline, “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I agree with Aella. Why fake sadness when we all hated Tanner? Yeah, I’m sad he’s dead, but should I make myself sad because he is, no.”

Caroline frowned, “I suppose.” She looked over to Aella, who was now leaning against her car, laughing with Stefan. “I hate when she’s right.”

Elena laughed at the blonde, “Reminds me of _ someone _when she proves us right. Maybe that proves why she’s best friends with Aella.”

“Oh, haha,” Caroline scowled, walking over to the love birds, picking up Elena’s meaning.

“So, does anyone want to go to the Grill?” Bonnie asked, leaning against her own car that was parked next to Aella’s.

“I’m in,” Elena smiled, and Caroline nodded.

Aella looked to Stefan who smiled sadly at the girls, “Sorry Bonnie, I’ve got to talk to my brother about something.”

“A?” Bonnie asked.

Aella looked between her cousin and boyfriend before sighing and shaking her head, “Sorry Cuz, I’m exhausted. I’ll go with Stefan and have a nap on his bed.”

Stefan looked to Aella, she hadn’t been to his since Damon killed Tanner.

“Okay, Cuz,” Bonnie shrugged, and the three got in her car and sped off, leaving the two alone.

Stefan turned Aella towards him, resting her head against his, “Are you sure?”

Aella smiled, pecking his lips with hers, “I have to see him again sometime, better it is my own choice than his.”

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Aella stared up at the Salvatore Building. Never had she felt so hesitant about entering it, including the moment she confronted Stefan about being a vampire.

“You ready?” Stefan asked as he joined her in front of the house.

“Yup!” She smiled brightly, ignoring whatever the feeling was in her stomach.

“**Damon!**” Stefan called out as soon as they stepped in.

Aella followed her boyfriend through the house towards one of her favorite rooms in the house, second only to the kitchen and library. It was a very masculine room, but the smell, the books, and comfort made it a beautiful room.

“_ Brother. Pixie. _”

Well, unless Damon was in it, which, unfortunately, he was.

“Damon,” Aella greeted through a tight smile, while Stefan only stared at his brother.

“It was Mr. Tanner’s memorial service today,” Stefan told Damon as he leaned on the back of one of the chairs.

“Well, that’s not nice,” Damon frowned, not looking up from the book he was reading. “Where was my invite?”

“With the Devil?” Aella shrugged, sitting opposite him. “You know in hell, where you belong.”

Damon smirked, looking up from the book to look at her, “I knew I missed your sarcasm while you’ve been hiding away.”

The scowl that was so desperate to appear on her face finally emerged at that comment, he was such bitch!

“What are you going to do about the council?” Stefan asked quickly to defuse the rising tension.

“Well, according to Zach,” Damon put the book down and walked over to the alcohol in the room. “Due to the viciousness of the wound, the fact he was still full of blood and the witness-” he looked pointedly over at Aella “- the council actually believes this may have been an animal attack.”

“Was that a dig?” Aella snarled, standing up, fingers flexing. “If I could have named you as that monster who cruelly killed a man to make a point, I would have done so with _ such _a clear conscience!”

Stefan quickly took hold of her, turning her away from Damon, “Don’t let him rile you up.”

“It doesn’t help he’s such a douchebag!” She scowled back.

“Um. I can hear you two,” Damon sang over as he poured himself a scotch. “Riling, Pixie up, is my new day job since I’m you know, not killing anything.”

Aella took a deep breath and turned towards the eldest Salvatore sitting back down with Stefan next to her, “You said the council ‘believe’ it’s an animal attack. How can we make sure they know it _ was _ an animal attack?”

“D_ ing, ding, ding, _ we have a winner!” Damon smirked, taking a sip of his scotch. “They have to see an animal is the area that can cause such a vicious wound.”

Aella didn’t like his tone, “What are you going to do about it?”

Damon smirked, and Aella looked to Stefan, who obviously felt the same sense of dread as her at his smirk, “I have an idea.”

Stefan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “Yes, we understand that, but what is it?”

Damon looked out of the window and chuckled to himself before walking towards the door and leaving, “Trust me.”

“Trust me?” Aella quickly repeated in question to Stefan, who equally looked concerned.

Aella jumped off the couch and ran through the house towards the front door, Stefan running after her knowing how impulsive she was. She opened the door to see Damon casually walking down the driveway hands in his jacket pockets.

“**Trust you!?** ” Aella shouted to his leather-clad back, “That’s ** like the world’s fattest man giving dieting tips, Damon!**”

But Damon ignored her, and she looked back to Stefan, who was now trying to hide his smirk, “He’s your brother!”

She stomped back into the house as Stefan closed the door and chuckled to himself, “Fat man diet tips, I like that one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDITED JULY 2020


	21. Leave Monty alone!

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Aella stood over Damon that next morning, watching as he smirked in his sleep, even when he was asleep he looked like he was maiming some animal or human. Looking down at her right hand smugly Aella stepped back to the foot of his bed and suddenly threw her right hand to the left.

Damon flew from the bed onto the cold hard floor, he didn't even take the time to see who had attacked him and only had one thing on his mind; kill.

Aella quickly built up the air in the room and forced a shield in front of her just as Damon approached her sending him back onto the cold hard floor with a loud smack!

Aella smirked down at the glaring Damon, "You're not going to catch me out like at the football game."

"But that was oh so entertaining," Damon chuckled darkly still on the floor. He pointed at the witch, "I'm really starting to like you Pixie."

"Too bad the feeling isn't reciprocated," She shrugged walking over to Damon and showing him her phone, particularly the news article of the mountain lion caught. "This you?"

Just as Damon was about to answer Stefan walked into the room slightly, smirking at the twosome, "Nice wake up Damon?"

Damon laughed out loud, still on the floor, "Thought I'd step into Saint Stefan's shoes and slum it for the night."

Stefan smiled sarcastically back at Damon before looking to Aella, "Your toast is ready downstairs."

"Thanks," she smiled at him before looking down at Damon with a glare, "You can explain downstairs."

With that she left Damon, kissing Stefan on the cheek and making her way to the kitchen.

Damon looked over at Stefan, motioning to his floor predicament, "A little help?"

"Sure," Stefan snorted leaving the room and Damon.

Damon glared at his brother back, standing up and brushing the dust of his black jeans muttering to himself as he made his way to the kitchen, "Now I remember why I hated Saint Stefan: smugness, chuckling and now _cuteness_!"

..............................................

..............................................

"Ugh! That is too much PDA for the morning people!" Damon groaned as he walked into the kitchen to see Aella kissing Stefan in thanks for her breakfast. "That's Public Display of Affection for you brother."

"He knows that acronym Damon," Aella smirked taking a bite of her toast.

"Lovely," he sat down and saw the TV was on mute but the news banner at the bottom displayed 'ANIMAL TERRORISING MYSTIC FALLS CAUGHT'. "I see you're both admiring my work."

"Ha!" Aella choked on her water, "Admiring? More like hoping that Lion would have ripped you apart with it."

"Hey!" Damon looked to Aella offended. "It was a mountain lion. Really big one. It attacked a hunter this morning and now It's all over the news. 'Deadly beast captured. All's well in Mystic Falls'. You should be thanking me."

Stefan scoffed, "Thanking you? You started this whole mess!"

Damon slyly smiled at him, "That doesn't sound like a thank you Stefan."

Stefan and Aella shared a look as she finished her toast, they had discussed Damon last night and wondered one thing; "Why would you cover your tracks Damon?" Stefan asked taking a seat next to his girlfriend.

"Ah I wondered when this question was gonna come up," Damon chuckled standing up and taking Aella's dirty plate to the sink, an act that raised the eyebrows of both Stefan and Aella. "I've decided to stay a while, I'm just having waaaay too much fun here."

Aella lightly slapped Stefan, "That's why he took my plate."

"After all-" Damon continued ignoring the couple "-I heard that there was a ball coming up and I didn't want to miss that." He suddenly gasped and looked to Stefan holding his hand to his smirking mouth, "I hope you asked your girlfriend to go or this could be awkward."

Stefan threw Aella's water bottle at Damon, who caught the plastic bottle easily, "Nice try Damon, I already asked her."

"So yeah!" Aella stuck her tongue out at Damon who quickly replicated the action.

"I would have had a date if someone-" he raised his eyebrows at Aella "-hadn't interrupted my meal time."

Aella scoffed smiling to herself, she looked to Stefan who now looked disappointed in his big brother once again, "You know I liked him for one minute."

She got off her stool and made her way to Damon, holding out her hand, "Water bottle please."

Damon smirked holding out the bottle, "Well since you said pleUGH!-"

Damon, in his smugness, had missed the butter knife in Aella's left hand that quickly was stabbed in his stomach as she grabbed her plastic bottle.

Aella leaned down to the groaning Damon and whispered in his ear, "Find another date."

As she walked out of the kitchen Stefan got up from his place with a wide smile on his face and walked over to his big brother, as Damon pulled the bloody knife from his stomach with a groan, "This is John Varvatos, dude. Crazy chick move."

"I don't control her," Stefan shrugged smugly walking backwards out the kitchen arms spread wide. "I just support her."

Damon looked down at his shirt then to where the two lovebirds had just left, "I'm starting to really like her."

**GILBERT HOUSE**

_"-To repeat, the animal terrorizing Mystic Falls has been caught."_

"Scum ball," Jenna scowled at the TV throwing imaginary baseballs at his head. "Scum bucket."

"Who are you talking to?" Elena asked amusedly as she walked into the room.

"Him," Jenna snarled at the TV.

"The news guy?"

"Also known as Logan "Scum" Fell," Jenna explained now imagining a piano falling on his head mid interview. "Did your mom ever tell you why I moved away from Mystic Falls?"

"Oh, no way," Elena frowned at her Aunt. "You and him? He's cute."

Jenna quickly turned to Elena, scowl now directed at her, "He is not cute. There's nothing cute about him!" She saw the ring in Elena's hand and knew exactly which one it was, "What are you doing with that?"

"Aella got it out from her super secret hiding place yesterday," Elena explained rolling the ring between her fingers.

Jenna smirked, "You mean third loose floorboard from the window with a distinct pentagram carved on it?"

"Best kept secret place in all of Mystic Falls," Elena smirked back.

While it was a running joke in their group of friends how they all knew Aella's hiding places it was the only place anyone hid anything of value, should it need to be hidden.

"Mom had told Mrs. Lockwood she would loan it to the founder's council for their heritage display."

Jenna leaned forward to see the small object, "Is that grandma Beth's wedding ring?"

"Originally it was great-great-grandma Mary's wedding ring," Jeremy chimed in walking in the room and taking the ring out of Elena's hands.

Jenna raised her eyebrow at her nephew, "Thinking of becoming a jeweller Jer?"

"Nah," he shrugged his shoulders with a slight flush to his cheeks. "Aella told me about it when she got it out yesterday. How much do you think this stuff is worth? You know, like on eBay?"

"Ah," Jenna smiled pointing at him. "There's our Jeremy Gilbert."

Elena took the ring from him with her own smirk, "Good question, too bad you're never gonna find out. Now help me get this stuff together for Mrs Lockwood." She marched into the kitchen with a groaning Jeremy behind her.

Jenna looked back at the TV to see Logan was still on the TV, "UGH!" She groaned as she threw a pillow at the TV just as the front door opened and Stefan and Aella walked in.

Aella stopped in her place, eyes wide and frozen on the spot, "Uh, Aunt Jenna? You ok?"

"FALL ON HIS HEAD IMAGINARY PIANO! FALL ON HIS HEAD!"

Aella turned to Stefan who was also frozen in his spot, "Um I have a book to find, you deal with crazy Aunt."

"Thanks!" Stefan groaned sarcastically back as she ran up the stairs. He nudged his way slowly over to the couch and Jenna as the news finished and was now showing commercials. "Uh, Jenna? Are you ok?"

Jenna's head spun so quickly to Stefan that he thought it may rip off, she looked at him and waved her hand up and down in front of his body, "See?" She asked the imaginary audience, "This is how a man should treat a lady, very simple. Ask her how she is?"

Stefan moved around the couch and slowly sat down cautiously next to the obviously emotional guardian, "And you are?"

"Oh Stefan," Jenna's eyes teared up just as Aella ran down the stairs without a book in her arms. "If only you were 10 years younger."

Aella stopped as she clocked eyes with Stefan and scoffed at the statement out loud, if only Stefan was 130 years younger, and made her way into the kitchen just as Jenna who heard the snort and fell into Stefan's shoulder crying out, "Okay 15 years!"

"Anyone want to fill me in on crazy pants admiring my boyfriend," Aella pointed out as she greeted Jeremy and Elena in the kitchen.

"Jenna's ex," Jeremy smirked at his Aunt's dramatics.

"Oh," Aella nodded eyes wide in recognition. "No wonder she's begging for a piano to fall on him. What are you two up to?"

"Antiques for the ball," Elena smiled placing her parents wedding rings in their ornate box for Tyler to pick up.

"Hey, what's this?" Jeremy asked holding a circular antique in his hand.

"That," Aella smiled taking the antique from his hands and popping it open to show a watch face, "Is the Gilbert pocket watch that goes to every firstborn son."

"Oh yeah," Jeremy smiled back, gently taking the object back into his hands. "Dad said his father gave it to him."

Aella saw the proud look on Jeremy's face as he took in every detail and looked to Elena who had given up packing and was now watching her brother with a sad smile on her face. It wasn't often Jeremy mentioned their parents in conversation. Aella gently nudged Elena and motioned towards Jeremy and the pocket watch, Elena frowned at first, obviously thinking about the wrath of Mrs Lockwood about everything not being there but then looked to her brothers smiling face again.

"Maybe you should keep it?" Elena suggested and Jeremy head shot up smile even bigger.

"Really?"

Elena nodded, she too smiling brightly, "After all, you are the firstborn son."

Jeremy frowned slightly, "But what about Mrs Lockwood?"

"Leave her to me," Elena shrugged polishing the gold box with her sleeve. "After all, these are Gilbert antiques."

"And if she still goes off," Aella smirked seeing her book on the counter and picking it up. "Sending her in my direction."

Jeremy laughed, "Will do."

Aella winked to Elena as she stepped back to her boyfriend, chuckling when Elena winked back.

Aella returned to Jenna and Stefan to see the two now stood and Jenna sobbing in Stefan's arms as he stared, eyes wide at Aella, having no clue what to do.

'_What the hell happened_?' Aella mouthed to her boyfriend as she stepped closer.

'_I don't know_,' he mouthed back just in time to see Jenna spot Aella and pull her into the group hug, muttering that Aella had found a good 'one' and need to 'keep' him.

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

"October 22nd is historical to our town Aella," Caroline lectured her best friend as they finished school for the day. "It's a celebration of those who founded Mystic Falls and-"

"-and let's us out of school for the afternoon," Aella grinned interrupting Caroline.

Caroline's nose flared, as sure sign of annoyance, that made Aella chuckle to herself. "Yes Aella, but we also must remember our founders."

Aella stopped raising an eyebrow at the blonde, "Hello Mrs Lockwood, I'm Aella how are you today?"

"Shut up!" Caroline hit Aella's arm playfully. "We get to wear pretty dresses and make ourselves look extra pretty."

"There's my best friend," Aella joked as they approached Stefan waiting next to both their cars. "Hi boyfriend," she quickly kissed Stefan.

"Girlfriend, Caroline," Stefan greeted with an amused smile on his face, obviously listening in on their conversation.

Caroline turned to Stefan, ignoring his greeting, "Make sure your girlfriend puts her wet hair in French plaits tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Um excuse me?!" Aella frowned stepping between the two, "Why are you telling him when I'm right here."

Caroline sighed in frustration, "Because your boyfriend actually listens to me Aella and absorbs my words while you just nod and forget our entire conversation 10 minutes later... Plus Hello-" Caroline motioned the tye-dye shirt Aella had worn that day "-you need me for important events or otherwise you choose monstrosities like that!

"I do not!" Aella argued back, mouth wide open in shock, before stroking the cat on her shirt "And leave Monty alone."

"Oh yeah?" Caroline smirked, ignoring the fact Aella had names the cat on her shirt, "What colour shoes did I tell you and Stefan, yesterday, to wear with your dress for tomorrow?"

Aella went silent her own nose now flaring, a sign she was panicking, "Um yesterday?"

"Yeah bestie," Caroline smugly replied. "Yesterday?"

Aella eyes shot to Stefan, who was trying his hardest not to laugh, with a scratch to his head he started mouthing words. Her eyebrows fell in confusion at her boyfriend's terrible attempt at charades.

Caroline spun quickly to Stefan catching him in the act, "Stefan!" Then turned to Aella, finger pointing at her, "White satin flats Aella! White satin flats with the gold heel trim."

"Okay, okay," Aella surrender hands held up. "I get ya, but I don't need no man to remind me what to do. White plaited flats and wet satin French trim."

"Ugh!" Caroline hit her forehead and opened her car getting in and quickly driving off.

"What?" Aella shrugged to Stefan, a smirk slowly forming on her face.

Stefan shook his head in disbelief, fighting his own smile, "You're going to give her an ulcer one day."

"It would shut her up," Aella shrugged walking to the passenger door as Stefan unlocked the car.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Stefan made the short journey to his house, driving Aella's car once again, Aella had made it very clear to him that as much as she loved driving - she preferred being chauffeured around. Hence his own keys and the lack of discussion of who would be driving.

"So what dress did you choose?" He asked on the straight road to his home.

"It's a white day dress with pink and grey bluish flowers on the bottom half," She explained watching Stefan driving - she loved to do that. "Not too bold but not too boring."

"Sounds nice," Stefan smiled taking hold of Aella's hand and placing it on his lap. "I have a blue and grey shirt that would match."

"No tie?"

"Nah," he shook his head kissing her hand. "To hot for a 17 year old human to wear shirt, jacket and tie."

"Gotcha," Aella nodded then snorted to herself as they pulled into the Salvatore Boarding House. "How normal do we sound?"

Stefan laughed with her until Aella went still and her hand, in Stefan's, tightened. Quickly looking up to Stefan her face went pale, "Somethings wrong."

Without questioning Stefan sped out of the car and ran into the house, Aella following him at human speed. Aella could hear grunts and Zach's panicked breaths as she ran through the house.

Seeing Zach bent over as Stefan stood between him and Damon, Aella ran over to Zach as Damon walked away, "Hey, are you okay?"

Zach smiled at his uncle's girlfriend in thanks but quickly shook his head, "No, I'm not." He looked to Stefan, "And neither are you. How many more people have to die before you see that?"

"I see it." Stefan assured him, "All right, Zach, I see it. I saw it when I couldn't save Tanner and when my girlfriend was too scared to come to my house because she was worried if my brother would kill someone else in front of her.

Aella frowned at his words, maybe he did understand her more than she gave him credit for.

"Then help me?" Zach desperately asked, "You know I have the vervain, we just have to decide when to use it."

Stefan looked to Aella who shrugged, "He's talking sense. Look I'll leave you two to it."

Stefan nodded to Aella and looked over to Zach, "Okay, I'll help. Let me just walk Aella out."

Zach nodded, relief showing on his face, "I'll meet you downstairs."

Stefan nodded and took hold of Aella's hand leading her back through the house to her car. When they got outside he leant against her allowing her to step between his legs, "Still feel normal?"

"Ha!" Aella snorted out loud putting her arms around his neck and kissing his lips, "Actually, I do. What do you think Zach's plan is?"

"I don't know," Stefan frowned pulling Aella closer and wrapping his arms around her. "But something needs to be done."

"Yeah," Aella nodded into his shoulder, she turned her head and pecked his neck in comfort. "Something needs to be done."

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

Aella parked her car behind Jenna's and made her way up to the house when she spotted a very familiar male figure standing at her front door.

"Sorry Lockwood but it's too late to ask me to the ball," Aella joked snorting as Tyler turned in surprise.

"Darn it!" Tyler playfully frowned, "Knew I should have skipped football practice to ask you."

"Really?" Aella playfully placed her hand on her heart in shock, as she climbed the front steps to meet him. "Missing practice for lil old me?" She knocked into his side softly as she opened the front door, "What you doing here Lockwood?"

Tyler motioned inside the house with his head, "J was just getting me the stuff for my mom."

"J?" Aella questioned leaning on the door frame.

Tyler shrugged stepped back and leaning on the patio column, "Jeremy, is cool when he doesn't take all that crap and-"

"-and doesn't try to steal your girl," Aella finished for him.

"Exactly."

"So how goes the blossoming relationship of Tyler Lockwood and Vicki Donovan?" Aella asked placing her bundle of keys in her bag.

Tyler smirked leaning forward slightly, "Is that jealousy I hear in your voice Bennett?"

"Ha!" Aella exclaimed laughing out loud. "You wish Lockwood."

'He did wish', Tyler thought to himself and decided to try and make Aella even more jealous. "I'm taking Vicki to the ball."

"Does Mama Lockwood know that?" Aella questioned smirking when Tyler's smug fell quickly from his face. "Thought so."

"-This is everything man," Jeremy stepped towards the two holding a decorated golden box.

"And that's my cue to leave," Aella announced ruffling Jeremy hair as she entered the house. "Later Lockwood."

Jeremy handled Tyler the box with a raised eyebrow at Tyler downtrodden face, "What's up?"

Tyler continued staring into the empty space Aella had just vacated, what would his mom say about him taking Vicki?

Quickly shaking his head Tyler smirked once again ignoring those thoughts, "Nothing man." He gestured to the box in his hands, "You sure this is everything man? Don't make me deal with a Carol Lockwood freak out 10 minutes before people arrive."

Jeremy chuckled shaking his head, "Nah man that's everything."

"You coming tomorrow night?"

"I don't know," Jeremy shifted uncomfortably.

"Well me and Matt will be hanging about together," Tyler shrugged ignoring the guilt stirring in his stomach at the fact he was already ditching Vicki when Aella had only mentioned his mom. "You should hang with us."

"Yeah, ok man. I'll think about it," Jeremy nodded and Tyler nodded back turning and leaving for his car. He knew the olive branch he handed out was the first step to stopping this stupid rivalry between him and Jeremy.

Jeremy closed the door and jumped back in shock when he saw Aella stood, with arms crossed, frowning as she leant against the staircase, "Hang?"

Jeremy old shrugged stepping round Aella making his way up the stairs, "No Vicki, no tension."


	22. Um, down chachi, who are you?

**GILBERT HOUSE**

The next day was a spa day for the 4 best friends who had set up their own beauty salon in the Gilbert household. Pedicures, manicures, facials and hair styling.

The party would be starting late afternoon that would be going on late into the night, especially as it would be the 150th anniversary of the founders of Mystic Falls.

"What did I say about beauty sleep Elena?" Caroline tutted as she started covering up the dark ring under Elena's eyes.

"Sorry, bad dream," Elena shrugged trying to forget that awful dream she had.

"What was it about?" Bonnie asked her as she blew on the nude nails Aella had just finished painting.

"It was really freaky," Elena sighed wanting to shake her head but unable to from the vice grip of her blonde best friend.

Aella put the nude OPI polish away and smirked, "Okay now you have to tell us what it was about? The possibilities are flying through my head right now."

Elena took a deep breath, her eyes closed from Caroline putting shadow on them, "I'm in bed and hear a noise so go and investigate-"

"-As you do," Aella chimed in from where she laid with Bonnie on the couch.

"And this news segment is on with Logan," Elena continued as if Aella hadn't said a word.

"He's reporting my death, that I've been attacked by a wild animal and drained of my blood."

Aella sat up at this as Caroline's fingers stopped blending in the brown eyes shade, her eyes meeting Aella's. Bonnie missing the look of caution past between the two best friends as she continued to blow her nails dry.

"Then a voice says 'You know what's coming next' and he bites me."

"He bites you?" Bonnie tuned back into the conversation eyes wide open, once more missing the looks of shock passing between Caroline and Aella.

Elena opened her eyes, noticing Caroline had stopped, nodding at Bonnie, "And even weirder, if that's possible, it sounded like Damon."

"Stefan's brother?" Bonnie questioned.

"Yeah," Elena nodded closing her eyes once more as a paler Caroline started on her eyes again. "I don't trust him."

"Too right," Aella agreed jumping off the couch wanting to get this conversation moved on.

"What colour dress are you thinking about C?" Knowing what Elena and Bonnie had chosen.

Caroline gasped out loud and Aella knew she had moved onto the right topic, "I found the most beautiful yellow dress that I thought would stand out so well."

"Because no one looks better than Caroline Forbes," Bonnie teased wink at a grinning Aella.

"Duh!" Caroline sighed thinking that was an actual statement. "It has these white and blue flowers and leaves, it's to die for!"

"Well that's Caroline's nail choice," Bonnie motioned towards the two varnishes the girls had deemed perfect for the festivities. "Delicate flower for C, I of course chose Naughty vixen, what about you two?"

"Tough call," Elena frowned, Caroline finished with her make up. "Can we mix them?"

"I'm not sure," Aella glanced between the two, sniffing them both. "Delicate Vixen sounds a bit weird."

"And 'Uh-oh Roll Down the Window' isn't?" Elena hit back holding the black bottle in her hands. "Isn't that your favourite color?"

**Ring Ring**

"Saved by the bell," Aella smirked picking up Elena ringing phone from the bed, glancing at the screen before throwing it to Elena. "Or by the Mad Mayor's Wife."

"Hi, Mrs Lockwood," Elena greeted their soon to be host glaring at Aella. The three girls were sat watching Elena knowing what Mrs Lockwood was calling about. "What do you mean a Pocket Watch is missing? Oh that one. Yes, I know I said I would donate everything it's just- yes I know it's just-"

Seeing her best friend having trouble with the obviously annoyed Mrs Lockwood, Aella jumped up and took the phone from her, quickly moving to the other side of the room as Elena tried to get the phone back. "Hi Mrs Lockwood it's Aella. Unfortunately the pocket watch was given to the next person Mr Gilbert wanted it to go to. It's now a very dear piece to that person and they would rather it be with them than on display. Sorry for the confusion," Aella wanted to laugh out loud as Carol Lockwood tried to interrupt her. "Have a good evening Mrs Lockwood and we'll see you soon." And Aella hung up.

Elena went pale as Aella threw her the phone back, "You just hung up on Mayor Lockwood's wife."

"I did," Aella smirked sitting down on Elena's vacant chair, it was her time to become pretty.

"And it felt awesome."

But that feeling of awesome didn't last 30 seconds before her phone vibrated in her pocket.

**Stefan: Damon figured out the vervain was in the scotch**

Looked like Plan B was up to her.

..............................................

..............................................

(Elena and Bonnie's dress same as episode)

"C'mon girls time to go," Jenna shouted up the stairs to the four girls.

Caroline finished tying Elena's sash round her waist with a smile, "Perfect."

"How good do we look right now?" Bonnie grinned as all four girls stood together each in their own coloured dress.

A sunset colour and design for Elena, a bold yellow and blue patterned dress for Caroline, a bright white dress with a trimming of flowers for Aella and a subtle but sophisticated cream dress for Bonnie; each dress suiting each girl perfectly and perfect for the early October celebration.

"Good?" Caroline smirked as she gathered her clutch, each girl doing the same. "We look hot!"

"Well this gal in this hot dress has to pee," Aella announced motioning with her eyes for Caroline to follow her.

"Me too!" Caroline exclaimed a little to forcefully making Aella quietly groan to herself as Elena and Bonnie raised their eyebrows at her.

"Maybe you should let Caroline go first A," Elena lightly laughed before going back to packing the essentials in her clutch.

"Will do," Aella smiled tightly before taking hold of Caroline's wrist and pulling her to the bathroom. Quickly turning on the blonde Aella hit her with her white clutch, "What was that?"

"Ow!" Caroline moaned hitting Aella's clutch away with her own. "You caught me off guard, couldn't you have pre-warned me? We've been here all day!"

Aella raised her eyebrow at her best friend, "Because you're as subtle as a gynaecologist wearing a gas mask. Anyway," Aella quickly continued before Caroline could retort, "How would you feel about getting revenge on Damon?"

Caroline stared at her best friend for a few moments before she smirked at her, "I would feel amazing."

"Great!" Aella exclaimed before getting her phone out and showing Caroline the texts she had been receiving from Stefan. "Stefan tried to catch Damon by putting liquid vervain in his drink but my boyfriend and his uncle-"

"-Are worse liars than those Pretty Little one's," Caroline finished for her with a nod reading how Stefan's Plan A had failed like a lead balloon.

Aella took the phone back with a nod placing it back in her clutch, "Exactly. Now Stefan's going to try again tonight with the last of Zach's vervain and that's where we come in."

Caroline grinned, "Oh I love it when I'm involved with your evil plans."

**LOCKWOOD MANOR**

Arriving at the Lockwood's Manor with her best friends and Jenna, Aella immediately spotted her boyfriend casually leaning on one of the Lockwood trees.

Bonnie leaned between the front seats where Jenna and Elena sat frowning at him, "I'm sorry Aella, but how can Stefan look that hot all of the time?"

"Amen to that," Jenna nodded unaware a smirking Stefan could hear their conversation.

Aella snorted getting out of the car, "Try not to pay him too many compliments, I like his head that size."

"Why?" Bonnie shrugged getting out after Aella and adjusting her dress, "It's not like he can hear me."

Aella swore she could hear Stefan snort as she made her way over to her vampire boyfriend.

"So?" She turned as she walked towards his leaned position, her dress floating around her as the wind gently carried it up. "How do I look?"

Stefan pushed himself off the tree and encircled his arms around her waist bringing her close to him, "Is majestic a little too much?"

"Never," Aella laughed placing her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

"Mmm," Aella mumbled rubbing her lipgloss lips together as they pulled away, quickly pulling one hand down from his neck and rubbing the shiny gloss off his lips. That hand then made its way to the blue shirt and grey jacket he had on, smoothing out the invisible crinkles on his well defined chest, "You look good too."

Stefan too advantage of their closeness and pulled the liquid vervain out of his jacket pocket showing it Aella, "Zach gave me his last batch."

"Well we better not mess it up," She nodded, Stefan not picking up on her emphasis of we.

"Stefan! Aella!" Caroline shouted from her place in line with their entourage. "We're nearly at the door."

"Girls! You look smashing," Mrs Lockwood grinned as she welcomed the girls in.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood," Aella grinned as she and Stefan stood motionless at the front door, aware of her boyfriend's current problem. "This is my boyfriend Stefan."

"Oh, well, come on in," Carol waved them in smiling as Stefan stepped closer to her, unaware of his relief at how easy that way. "You are so handsome Stefan."

"Well I'm a sucker for cute, romantic fella's!" Aella sarcastic bragged as a grinning Stefan took her arm in his again.

The smile fell from Carol Lockwood's face, "Boys don't like funny girls Aella," she tutted before looking at the next guests.

"Noted," Aella nodded stifling her grin as she and Stefan walked into the house chuckling to themselves.

Arriving at the bar Aella spotted Caroline and Liz 'chatting' in the corner. Stefan looked over her shoulder after he had ordered them drinks and quickly picked up on the tension between Caroline and the Sheriff.

"That seems tense," he motioned to the two women, trying to ignore the words his supernatural hearing was picking up.

"Yeah," Aella replied distracted by the obvious fight going on. "I'm not surprised to be honest." She turned to Stefan and suddenly realised he was standing next to her on the side the vervain was in his pocket. "Caroline likes to use to her advantage that her moms the Sheriff," she slowly explained allowing her fingers to manipulate the air in the room and lift the vervain slowly from an unaware Stefan's pocket. "But when it's social events like this, she kinda wants her mom to be like the other moms and actually dress up."

The viall raised itself from his pocket and moved from Stefan to Aella's open hand as Stefan nodded at the explanation eyes darting from Aella to Caroline.

Just as the bottle landed itself in Aella's hand, he asked, "And who is Stevan?"

"What?!" Aella jumped, eyes wide, as she closed her fist tight thinking she may have been caught. "Stevan?" She looked to Caroline and laughed nervously, "Oh Stevan." She nodded ignoring Stefan's bemused face at her reaction, "Stevan is Caroline's dad's boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" Stefan repeated eyebrows raised.

"Yup," She quickly retorted with a sharp nod. "Caroline likes him and he has a daughter a few years younger than Caroline, which she just adores and is already planning her entire high school life."

Stefan chuckled, "Sounds like Caroline."

"So how good does this look?" Jenna asked as she walked towards the two grabbing a large glass of white wine as the waiter walked by.

"Amazing," Aella smiled as Stefan nodded in agreement. She looked at Jenna's glass with a smirk, "Care to share?"

Jenna laughed out loud, "Care to bail me out of jail when I'm caught by the Sheriff, who is standing just behind me, by the way, when she arrests me?"

"So that's a no?" Aella raised her brows in hope.

"That's a hell no, mini me," Jenna smirked until she saw a familiar face walking over to. "Oh my god!" She groaned and quickly swallowed the whole glass as Aella and Stefan's eyes widen at the action. "Is this karma for saying no to the town's precious Aella Bennett?" She mumbled to herself causing both teens to look over their shoulders and recognise the news reporter heading their way.

Aella scowled at the reporter and stepped forward, "Leave it to me Jenna." Just as Logan approached them and opened his mouth, eyes locked with Jenna's, Aella stepped in his way blocking his view, "No way Jose! This mujer not interested!"

Logan frowned at the small brunette, "Um, down chachi, who are you?"

"Aella," Jenna sighed moving herself between the two. "As much as I celebrate the fact you finally learned something in your Spanish class, I can deal with him."

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked instead of Aella, who was now glaring at Logan.

"Yes," Jenna nodded at Stefan, relieved he was there to deal with Aella. "Why don't you two go look at the antiques?"

"Okay," Aella nodded slowly as Stefan took her hand and started leading her up the stairs where the antiques were laid out. Thinking Stefan wasn't looking, she quickly turned to Logan and pointed her to fingers from her eyes to Logan and back to her eyes mouthing, 'I'm watching you'.

Until Stefan pulled her close to him as he smirked down at her, pulling her close, "Saw that."

Logan watched the pair leave, confused as hell to who the tiny chihuahua was. Wanting to forget that happened he turned to Jenna flashing his newsreader smile at her, "Jenna."

"Logan," Jenna replied monotonously back.

"It's good to see you," ignoring her tone.

But Jenna wasn't having any of it, as she reached for another glass of white wine passing her by, "I thought I might see you here."

"You knew it," he smirked thinking he was finally getting somewhere.

Jenna gulped the whole glass down in one, wincing and revealing at the fact she was already feeling a little drunk. She passed the empty glass to Logan and leaned forward to him, copying his smirk, "I dreaded."

And she walked away.

..............................................

..............................................

"_The founding families in Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural founder's council celebration._" Aella read from the old document Stefan had just pointed her to. "Wow, look, it's the original guest registry. Look at all these familiar names—Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. D? Damon Salvatore? And, Stefan Salvatore?" She quickly looked up at Stefan with a wide smile, "That's your signature?"

"That's the "original" Salvatore brothers signatures."

"Ugh."

Aella sighed at the interruption, seeing a smirking Damon on the glass reflection, she and Stefan quickly turning to face him. "What are you doing here?"

Damon smirked stepping closer to her, bowing slightly, "As a new permanent resident to this town I could just miss this very celebratory event, could I?"

"Yes," Stefan and Aella said simultaneously.

"How did you get in here Damon?" Stefan asked with a frown.

"Um," Damon pursed his lips as his eyes scanned the room. "Just some random local high school girl, Mary? Mollie? Missie?-"

"Millie? Millie Fell?" Aella quickly questioned own lips pursed but rather in anger.

"That's it!" Damon snapped his fingers and pointed at the brunette, "Millie, nice innocent Millie. Anyway, The Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town. Until the war. There was a battle here—

"-Well, I'm suddenly bored of history," Aella interrupted Damon with a smirk and turned to Stefan. Shall we partake in some fancy dancing to relish in a ball like fantasy?"

Stefan held his arm out to her, ignoring the glare burning into the back of his head from his elder brother, "It would be my pleasure."

Damon glared at the two as they retreated downstairs until he saw another familiar brunette, one he had been waiting to see since he arrived. He slowly walked over to her as she gazed down at two rings, a white name card just behind them reading 'ON LOAN FROM THE GILBERT FAMILY'.

"Your parents?" Damon asked, taking pleasure when she jumped in surprise.

"Damon," She sighed as her heart slowed down from the shock at his sudden appearance.

She looked down at the rings again and nodded smiling at the rings, "There's a lot of history here."

Damon nodded with her and she moved on to the next heirloom, "I want to apologize to you for being such a world-class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you." She looked up in shock at his words and tried to say 'it was nothing' but he shook his head before she could, "There's no excuse. My therapist says I'm...Acting out, trying to punish Stefan."

Elena frowned as they stepped in front of the original manifest for the founding families, ignoring Damon's sly smile, "For what?"

"It's all in the past," he waved off. "I don't even want to bring it up. Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry." He looked up to the manifest and pointed out two names Elena new very well, "And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers."

..............................................

..............................................

Stefan led Aella to the dance floor, placing her arms around his neck pulling her closer to him, the music slow and romantic. Aella smiled gently at her boyfriend before lowering her arms and instead stepping even closer and laying her head on his shoulder, holding onto his hand and resting it on his muscled chest, her left hand playing with the back of his golden hair.

"Can we stay like this forever?" She asked, eyes closed, as they swayed on the dance floor.

Stefan kissed the top of her head, smiling at her question, "As you wish."

Aella tried to conceal her smile at the familiar words, hiding her smile in his shoulder, "Okay, now you're just pushing it, quoting one of my favourite movies."

Stefan shrugged, "It's a good movie. Not exactly 'To Kill a Mockingbird', but a good movie."

"Hmmm?" Aella debated the two for a moment before nodding in agreement, "Ok, I can agree with that."

"I'm glad," Stefan chuckled as he stepped away from Aella and spun her around, catching her in his arms once more.

"Ooohhhh fancy," she smiled adjusting her hold once more.

"Wait till you see my finish," Stefan smiled raising his eyebrows up and down. As the music ended, he stepped away once more spinning her around before dipping her backwards finishing the dance.

A gentle applause greeted them as Stefan still held her in that dip, Aella with no doubt her mind he would drop her. As he lifted her back up she caught a glimpse of Elena and Damon chatting as they walked outside together.

Raising her brow at the two, she saw Damon go off to where the bar was and realised this was her chance, spotting Elena coming her way she looked back to Stefan as he moved his arms to dance with her again. Stopping his arms, she smiled as he looked to her confused, "Ladies Room break?"

Stefan nodded and started to walk back from the dancing floor, when Aella stopped and pointed to Elena, "No don't stop dancing." She looked to Elena and called her over, "Elena!"

Elena frowned making her way over to their direction, "I just had the weirdest conversation with Damon."

Seeing this as her opportunity Aella raised her brows in surprise, "You did? That's strange, dance with Stefan-" she pushed Elena into Stefan's bemused stance "-as he is the perfect person to understand a weird Damon, while I got to the little girls room."

Before Elena or Stefan could say anything Aella disappeared leaving a blushing Elena with Stefan, she smiled politely at him, "Is this ok with you?"

Stefan nodded immediately, he thought he was used to Aella's strange behaviour by now, obviously not, "Of course, if you're sure?"

Elena nodded softly and stepped into his waiting arms, a large but comfortable gap between them as they danced to a slightly more upbeat song.

"I hope Damon didn't drive you too crazy?" Stefan asked thinking to what Elena had just told him and his girlfriend.

Elena shook her head, smiling slightly, "No, actually, he was on good behavior. He even apologized and explained why he is the way he is. Something about a history with a girl called Katherine."

"Hmm," Stefan nodded hoping Elena didn't feel him miss a step when she mentioned Katherine.

"So tell me about her," Elena asked a little too casually that had Stefan on tenterhooks. "What happened?"

Stefan shrugged as their dance became less dancing and more standing, "It's not something I like to talk about."

Elena pulled back, smiling leaving her face, "Why? Because you have a history with her too."

Stefan tried to dismiss the claims with a cool smile but Elena was having none of it, "And that's all it is, history."

"I hope that's the truth, Stefan," She frowned slightly stepping back into his arms as people started to point at the tension between the two and lack of dancing. "Aella really likes you and I would do anything to protect her."


	23. You're basically the Morgan Spurlock of vampires!

**LOCKWOOD MANOR**

Damon left the bar, scotch in hand as he wandered back into the Lockwood house looking to start some trouble.

_"Caroline you have to keep an eye on my neck, my vervain necklace fell off in the bathroom."_

Damon smirked at the familiar voice, stopping in his tracks, and there was the trouble he was looking for. Standing at the side of the doorway between the two rooms they all were in Damon used his supernatural hearing to his advantage.

"_How did it fall off?_" Caroline asked and Damon could hear both their heart rates increase at the thought Aella could be vulnerable.

Or so he thought.

_"I just was fixing some hair that had tangled in it and it just fell,_" Aella explained sadness in her voice. "_The clasp is loose and I don't have any pliers on me to fix it."_

"_Yeah, because everyone keeps pliers in their clutches_," Caroline sarcastically replied.

"_It's not funny Caroline_," Aella stressed and Damon was almost in heaven to hear pixie witchy actually scared. "_You know I can't ingest Vervain so this is my only defence._"

"_Do you want min-_"

_"-No!_" She interrupted her best friend's suggestion. "_I'd rather you be protected multiple ways, especially with our very own murderous Edward Cullen lurking about the mansion._"

'Edward Cullen?' Damon mouthed to himself. Was she talking about him? No way he was Edward Cullen; he wasn't a pathetic sparking vampire that fell in love with a pathetic human. That would never be him!

"_Just keep an eye on my neck and make sure it's never bare,_" Aella instructed her blonde best friend and Caroline agreed.

Damon pushed himself off the door frame with a proud smirk on his face and walked back outside to the bar, gulping his scotch down in one go.

Looks like he would be hunting a Pixie Witch tonight.

..............................................

..............................................

Aella and Caroline stood like statues for a minute as Aella closed her eyes feeling Damon's presence gets further away. When she could not distinguish human from vampire she opened her eyes and nodded at Caroline, "He's gone."

"Do you think he heard the whole thing?" Caroline whispered, not wanting to take any chances.

"Oh yeah," Aella nodded pulling out the vial of Vervain from her clutch and unscrewing the lid. "I could almost smell the smugness coming off him."

"You can do that?" Caroline questioned just as Aella raised the vial to her lips.

"No Car," Aella chuckled as she swallowed the Vervain tasting nothing, chasing it down with her soda Caroline had given her. She swirled the soda round her mouth drinking the last bit and gave the glass back to Caroline, "Okay, time to get back to my boyfriend and hope he doesn't suspect anything."

Caroline nodded, "And I'll be at the bar waiting for your signal."

"Great!"

Caroline frowned slightly, "I hope you know what you're doing A."

Aella smiled, placing the vial back in her clutch, "Me too Care, me too."

Stepping back into the dancing room Aella walked over to a visibly awkward dancing Elena and Stefan, "Sorry that took so long," she apologised watching with a raised brow as Elena took a huge step back from Stefan. "The queue was huge- are you okay?"

"Yup!" Elena quickly nodded voice high as she stepped back even further. "I'm going to find Bonnie. Stefan? Thanks for the dance."

"You too Elena," He smiled tightly back and relaxed slightly as the doppelgänger walked away.

"Okaaay, what was that about?" Aella's asked stepping back into Stefan's waiting arms.

"Just Damon again," Stefan shrugged off, not wanting his evening to be spoiled by the mention of Katherine.

The two carried on dancing; dancing close together at the slow songs and letting Aella talk him into some questionable dance moves during faster songs. It entertained the party and Stefan didn't stop smiling once.

After what seemed was their hundredth dance Aella stepped back from Stefan breathing heavily, "Okay the human is tired, hot and thirsty now."

Stefan laughed and nodded to the empty garden past the marquee, "Why don't you go and cool down in the garden and I'll get us some drinks?"

"That'll be great!" She exclaimed and moved forward pecking his lips.

"Ouch!" Stefan pulled back quickly at the pain on his lips rubbing them clean from the obviously vervain. "Why have you just drank vervain?"

"I'm sorry," Aella sighed, freaking out inside. "I forgot my usual dose this morning so put it in my clutch to drink when no one was around. I took it in the bathroom and completely forget to wipe my lips. Forgive me?"

Stefan stared at her for a second, her heart was beating so fast he couldn't determine if it was because she was upset at hurting him or was lying to him. Kissing her head Stefan nodded hoping to forget those thoughts, "Coke or Water?"

"Water please," she nodded and walked off winking at her blonde best friend as she passed the bar and allowing her necklace to gently fall off her neck as she stepped down the marble steps, aware of the watchful eyes of her boyfriend's brother on her.

Damon picked up Aella's necklace with a smirk as he placed it in his pocket with another Bennett necklace, tonight was just his lucky night.

..............................................

..............................................

Jeremy entered the Lockwood Mansion pulling at his grey tie, happy Jenna had the foresight to organise his suit just in case he was going to turn up, otherwise he didn't think Mrs Lockwood would have been happy with his own idea of jeans and a sweatshirt.

Looking around he searched for anyone he knew, he wouldn't even mind talking to Mayor Lockwood, if it meant he wouldn't have to awkwardly stand in the entrance hall.

"Look around. What's missing?"

Jeremy turned at the sound of Mrs Lockwood's shrill voice obviously berating some poor idiot.

Well he did say anyone.

Walking towards the dining room the shrill voice became louder, "The flames, the candles. Why aren't they lit? There's matches in the kitchen."

He was just about to enter the room when he saw the familiar hair of his sisters best friend watching Mrs Lockwood shout at the staff.

"Bitch!" He heard her mutter and hid his snort as he noticed Bonnie bend slightly down and stare at a candle.

He was just about to ask her what she was doing when she turned in frustration facing him, only to jump back in shock at his appearance. But Jeremy didn't notice that, instead his eyes were wide as they took in the brighter room.

Bonnie frowned her brow, wondering what he was staring at, when she too noticed a flicker to her left and slowly turned not to see just one candle lit, but the whole room of candles lit.

"And here I was coming for free food," Jeremy muttered to himself.

..............................................

..............................................

  
Damon stepped down into the gardens towards Aella, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Blondie chatting away to his brother, who knew she would come in handy without even having to compel her.

The new bane of his existence was sat on one of the marble benches staring out onto the Lockwood property.

"You know when I originally lived here, the Lockwoods owned triple what the have today," he announced to her.

With a gasp Aella quickly spun around to him with a hand on her chest to calm her beating heart. He could practically hear her blood calling out to him as he quickly scanned her body for jewellery that could hide any more vervain.

Very quickly Aella's shock turned to distaste as she met Damon's gaze, "Oh it's you."

Damon chuckled, she was entertaining, that was for sure. "Ouch, Pixie." He sat down next to her, ignoring how she slid further away from him on the bench. "If my heart was beating it would stop at that frosty reception."

"Do you blame me?" She spat, looking back to the garden with a glare. "You're an arrogant, cunning, masochistic, sociopath, with an air for the dramatics. You're basically the Morgan Spurlock of vampires, a know it all who just had to take it way too far and now McDonalds is the Antichrist of fast food!"

Damon raised an eyebrow at the brunette, "Is that supposed to make me upset? Because I have no clue who Morgan Spurlock is."

"It's a metaphor Damon!" Aella growled standing up from the bench and turning to him. "I liked McDonald's, McDonald's and I were good friend for a few years, then stupid Morgan Spurlock had to make that gross documentary that made even ME never want to eat McDonald's again! I hate Morgan Spurlock!" Pointing her finger at him with a glare, "You are my new Morgan Spurlock!"

Damon slowly shook his, without a care in the world, "Still no idea Pixie."

"Ugh!" Aella threw her hands up and walked away from the smirking vampire to another set of benches in the property, only these benches were slightly hidden from the party and said smirking vampire was following her with fangs awaiting.

"Hey Pixie?" Damon asked as they reached the benches.

Aella turned with a frown and arms crossed, "What now Damon?"

He stepped forward, and with eyes wide and hunger rising he pulled her towards him, "It's time to be a quiet witchy and listen to everything I say."

Aella's arms fell from their crossed positions as her eyes glazed over staring deep into his crystal blue eyes.

"Now kiss me."

..............................................

..............................................

"Sooooooooo Stefan," Caroline smiled nervously at the vampire. "Liking the party?"

"It's not bad," he shrugged waiting for his and Aella's water.

"Right," Caroline nodded, eyes wide, as she thought of the number of parties he would have attended. "Bet this is nothing compared to the 1920s?"

With a slight smile Stefan nodded, "Although the prohibition era did make it a unique time."

Happy he was opening up and the conversation wasn't sounding too forced Caroline pushed on about one of her favourite eras, "Did you have your own moonshine recipe? Care to share?"  
Opening his mouth to share some other moments he stopped, it was then he realised he was struggling to actually remember moments. "No moonshine recipe for me," he admitted, nodding when he was handed two waters. "But I knew of a great bar called Gloria's, it was the place to be in the 20s."

"Wow," Caroline sighed happily. "It even sounds like a bar in the 20s."

Stefan laughed at her expression, this was the Caroline that Aella bragged about. Picking up the glasses he looked to Caroline, "I better get this to Aella befor-"

"-wait!" Caroline took hold of his arm before he could leave, eyes wide and heart beating loud again, Stefan rose an eyebrow. "Tell me more of the 20s."

He drank some of his water and motioned to outside, a move that had Caroline squeak so quietly even he struggled to hear it, "Aella was pretty thirsty."

"Oh she'll be fine," Caroline waved off, her heart skipping a beat at the lie.

But Stefan wasn't fooled.

Placing the waters on the side he faced the blonde who gulped at his straight face, "Where's Aella, Caroline?"

"How would I know?" She squeaked, a guilty sound that had Caroline closing her eyes in fear and Stefan's whole body tensing at the number of thoughts now running through his mind.

Taking a gentle hold of the blondes arms he asked her once more, "Where is she, Caroline?"

..............................................

..............................................

"Now kiss me."

At the demand, Aella begged her body not to react. Everything within her wanted to scream at Damon, spit in his face, curl her face in horror at the command.

But she couldn't.

She had to remain as 'dazed' as she could and to her horror, she began leaning into kiss him, wishing she could look anywhere but the smirking face of her boyfriend's brother.

Just as her lips neared his, she smirked in his face, "Never in a million years!" And raised her hand to throw him into a marble statue in the garden but Damon caught that hand and quickly grabbed her other hand spinning her so her back was to his front.

"You think you can play me Pixie?" Damon smirked seeing the horror appear on Aella's face at being caught. "You think I don't know when someone's faking being compelled?"

Looking around in fear, Aella opened her mouth to scream but Damon quick with his speed changed his hold on both her hands into one of his as his other covered her plump lips and prevent the scream for help emerging.

"Now, we don't want to be interrupted now, do we Pixie?" He sassed pulling them further away from the party. His nose dragged down her tanned neck as his eyes turned at the smell of her alluring blood, "Let's see what happens, when the hunter becomes the hunted." And he bit into her neck.

"STEFAN!"

..............................................

..............................................

"Where is she, Caroline?"

Caroline looked around for a way out of this conversation, seeing no out she realised she would have to reveal the truth to Stefan.

"She thought he'd know what you were up to," Caroline explained noticing a frown appearing on Stefan's face. "He's been desperate to get his revenge and Aella thought he would be too distracted by this to notice anything else."

Stefan was confused at what the blonde was telling him, until he finally put the pieces together and reached into his pocket for the vervain, only to find it empty.

Taking hold of Caroline's once more he pulled her towards him and growled, "Where is she?"

"STEFAN!"

Stefan fell into Caroline at the voice appearing in his head, only to realise the same had happened to Caroline as she held her head too.

At her best friends scared voice Caroline pointed to the garden, as tears welled up in her eyes, "She's at the bottom of the garden."

Without a care to anyone else, Stefan ran through the tent and to the garden, running down the marble steps, sick to his stomach as he smelt fresh blood close.  
He only hoped he could reach her in time.

..............................................

..............................................  
  


Bonnie stared at Jeremy, mouth wide open thinking of anything to explain to him what had just happened when-

"STEFAN!"

At her cousins frightened tone, Bonnie pushed past Jeremy and ran outside, her gut telling her this was where she needed to be. When she saw Stefan already half way down the garden and Caroline following him, she knew her gut was right and quickened her run.

..............................................

..............................................

  
"Aghhhhhhhh!"

Damon fell to the floor in agony as Aella held her neck, breathing heavily as she watched him wither in pain, "How's it feel to be the one hunted now Damon?"

"You bitch!" Damon wheezed from the floor as the vervain kicked in.

"Proud of it," Aella proudly smiled feeling slightly sick as she felt the blood flowing from her wound.

"Aella!" Stefan blurred to her and held her face close to his.

"I'm okay," Aella nodded as tears gathered in her eyes, now seeing the pain in Stefan's.

"What were you thinking?!" Stefan demanded pulling her face close to his. "I could have lost you because of him."

"I'm sorry," Aella cried at his pain and her own. "I couldn't have him hurt anyone else."

Stefan shook his head in desperation and instead pulled her close and he looked down at his brothers body just as Caroline and Bonnie rounded the corner, but instead of seeing the vampire passed out on the floor they both saw the blood pushing itself through Aella's fingers.  
Caroline screamed at the sight and ran over to her best friend pulling her from Stefan's arms into her own as she used her purse to try and stop the bleeding on her neck.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked Stefan, stepping hesitantly around Damon to reach his brother.

Trying not to growl at the younger witch, Stefan gripped his hands together ignoring the slight pain as his nails pierced his palms, it was that or screaming at his girlfriend how stupid she was. "Aella used herself as bait to take down Damon."

Bonnie rounded on him, "And you knew!?"

This time his did growl back, "Do you think I would have let her anywhere near him if I knew?"

Realised she had snapped too soon she held her hands up to him, "Okay, I'm sorry. I've just never heard my cousin sound that scared, she was so scared."

"You heard her too?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie nodded, glancing over her shoulder as Caroline babied Aella, who was now a lot paler.  
"She must have unknowingly contacted the people she knew she could trust with this," Stefan explained with a slight shrug.

"I need to take her inside to get cleaned up," Caroline told them both as Aella looked anywhere other than at Stefan's cold stare.

Stefan motioned to Damon, "I'll deal with this."

Caroline nodded and started walking off with Aella as Stefan turned away from Bonnie to kneel down to Damon, she was just about to follow Caroline to help when she noticed something shining near Damon's shoe. Squinting her eyes, she thought it may just be the moons glare on his shiny shoes until she saw a trace of silver too and realised it was a necklace. Quickly she reached down picking up a necklace from the floor without thought and turned from Stefan, following her best friends as she placed the necklace in her pocket; as a strange satisfaction came over her.


	24. Things just went from worse to worser!

**LOCKWOOD MANOR**

"I knew this was a bad idea," Caroline tutted as she cleaned Aella's wound.

The three had hidden themselves away in Tyler's private bathroom, knowing they wouldn't be any interruptions. Aella had been plonked between the double sinks by her best friend and cousin once they reached the wet room. While Bonnie tried to clean Caroline's purse on her left, Caroline used the right sink as she angrily muttered to herself how bad of an idea this all was.

Aella smirked to herself as she watched Caroline clean the black flannel she had found in the bathroom and had used on Aella's wound. It could have been the blood loss but the fact Damon was out for the count, she wanted to celebrate that small fact.

"Stop smirking Aella Bennett!" Caroline snapped throwing the flannel at her as she saw the brunette's smirk. "I honestly thought Stefan was going to rip my head off."

"He'd never," Aella chuckled until Caroline placed the flannel back on her wound. "Ow ow ow!"

"Serves you right," Caroline smirked, her own smile finally starting to show through her anger.

"So how long have you known about Vampires, Caroline?" Bonnie asked as she shook the water from the clutch.

Caroline eyes opened wide at the question and instead of lying she decided to go for the truth, "When Damon decided to use my stomach for dessert instead of Aella's neck."

"What?!" Bonnie exclaimed turning to the blonde.

"Yeahhhhhhh," Caroline nodded. "Aella and Stefan saved me and Aella explained everything."

Bonnie turned to her cousin with a frown and hands on hips, "When was I going to find out Damon and Stefan were vampires?"

Aella thought for a moment before she held her hands up to her cousin with a bright smile, "Surprise!"

Bonnie stared her cousin down for a few seconds before she shook her head in annoyance, "Why do you have to be so cute!"

Aella laughed at her cousin before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around her hugging her tight, with a second squeeze she let the other witch go and jumped off the counter. "Let's blow this joint!"

"Yes please," Caroline sighed tiredly. "I think today, me and being undercover will never work."

Aella tapped Bonnie with her elbow as she cheekily said, "Unless that is you which is undercovers with Matt Donovan."

Bonnie gasped in shock at the suggestion, "No! Caroline and Matt?"

"Aella Bennett!" Caroline screamed as her best friend ducked under her arms and jogged out of Tyler's room and down the stairs giggling mischievously.

"_Did you get the Gilbert watch?_"

Aella stopped at the bottom of the staircase at her best friends moms voice.

_"She claims it's packed away in her parents' things."  
_

And there was Mrs Lockwood.

What the hell were these two doing in a room talking about Jeremy's watch for?

She felt a bump in her back and Caroline taking breath to berate her again when she quickly turned and placed her hand on her mouth, motioning to her and Bonnie to be quiet and listen.

The three girls tiptoed as best as they could in their heels to the office where the large wooden door was slightly ajar.

_"I can get it."  
_

Aella looked back to Caroline and Bonnie with a frown and mouthed to both girls '_Logan Fell_?'

_"Good. We're going to need it." _The sheriff stated.

_"Are you sure?"_ Mayor Lockwood asked.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense as goosebumps appeared on Aella's arms. Was it a prediction of what was to come, that would shock not only her, but her two companions?

_"Five bodies all drained of blood? I'm certain."_ Sheriff Forbes decided.

_"They've come back."_ Logan Fell declared as the three girls hid their shock gasps, not only did Caroline's mom know about vampires, but so did the mayor, his wife and the local celebrity newsman.

Looks like things just became a hell of a lot more complicated.

When the girls heard them all moving about they quickly moved back into one of the other corridors, eyes wide as their brains finally confirmed the bodies matched the voices, they were hearing.

"What the hell were they talking about?" Bonnie asked when the coast was clear. "And how the hell do they know about vampires?"

"Oh my god!" Caroline whined in a whisper. "Things just went from worse to worser!"

Aella and Bonnie looked over at her immediately, then shook their heads, Aella internally rolling her eyes; she wasn't going to correct the blonde at this moment in time.

"They're talking about the Gilbert Watch," Aella told them with a deep frown. "And if it's what I think they're talking about, Mystic Falls Supernatural Council have re-assembled." She looked to Bonnie, a trace of fear showed in her eyes, "Which means every supernatural being in Mystic Falls could be in a lot of trouble."

Caroline was right, things just got so, so much more worse.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE** **   
**

Stefan opened the door to the boarding house with a bang and strode in, his anger still pulsing through his body as he carried his brother into their home over his shoulder.

"What the hell?" Zach shouted as he met them at the door, only to take a step back at the sight of Stefan carrying a knocked out Damon. "How?"

Stefan only glared as he motioned over his shoulder to the frowning brunette who had followed him in after a very awkward car journey there. "Why don't you ask our very own damsel-in-distress?" He told Zach before stomping through the house to lock Damon away.

"Aella?" Zach asked turning to her in question before he saw the wound on her neck and sighed to himself, "Oh Aella, what did you do?"

Aella smiled tightly at him, "What needed to be done." She walked past him to make her way upstairs, "Can you tell Stefan I'll be waiting upstairs for him?"

Zach nodded with a gentle smile as he watched her ascend the stairs, he was sure Stefan had asked her the same question multiple times that night but she was right, it needed to be done.

As she waited for Stefan, Aella changed out of her blood soaked dress into the shirt Stefan had worn that day and a pair of shorts from his drawers. The longer she waited for him the more, she hoped, he'd calm down.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Maybe not!

"I know, I know," Aella winced at his volume, holding her hands up in surrender. "I just saw Zach was struggling and then the vervain in the drink didn't work and I could just hear it in your voice that he knew he was going to hurt someone again."

Walking over to him she smiled lightly, "He knew all your tricks but he didn't know mine, I just didn't want him to hurt you anymore Stefan. I'm sorry."

She placed her hands on his, hoping he would let her hold them, "I'm so so sorry, but I had rather him hurt me and know that he wouldn't hurt anyone else."

"Well I care," Stefan demanded pulling his hands away and gently taking hold of her upper arms and pulling close, his tone desperate, his eyes scared. "I care if you get hurt and you did! What if you couldn't get through to me or Bonnie or Caroline? What would you have done if the vervain didn't work?"

"Well it did!" She argued, pulling her arms away from his and gently taking hold his face, hating that she was the one to put that fear in his eyes. "It did work and now he's locked away, think of it that way."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Stefan sighed, all of his anger leaving his body in that one breath. Stepping closer she tucked herself into his arms, smiling to herself when his arms automatically enclosed around her.

"Where have you got him?"

"He is in the cellar locked away," Stefan sighed resting his head against hers. "I've got his ring and Zach's preparing more vervain to keep him weak."

Aella sighed and apologised to him again, "I'm sorry. When you text after he found the vervain in his drink, It was like I could feel how disappointed you were and I just wanted to help."

Stefan shifted the two so they were still close but now he could take her face in his hands and stare directly into her beautiful eyes, "Aella, I've been alive a bit longer than you and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you can't imagine and I've done things I'd prefer you didn't. I've been on the world nearly 170 years and there's only one thing I've been sure of; you. I love you Aella."

"I love you too Stefan," Aella revealed back as tears finally fell from her eyes. "I'm so sorry Stefan."

"I know," Stefan nodded before placing his lips on hers.

She pulled away slightly to smile softly at him, happy they were no longer arguing, before leaning in again kissing him. Placing her lips to his gently before gently pulling back with a teasing smile when he swiped his tongue against her lower lip. With a soft chuckle against her lips, Stefan pulled her into his arms carried her swiftly over to his bed, laying her delicately on the bed, head against the pillows and hair billowing around her head like a golden halo.  
Kissing her again, soft and sincere, one hand resting on the pillow beside her head, the other sneaking up to rest on her neck to-

"-ow!" Aella pulled away slightly as Stefan's hand touched the wound on her neck.

"Damn it," Stefan sighed pulled away and focusing on the wound. "I almost forgot about that."

"Me too," Aella grumbled as Stefan gently prodded around the wound.

Stefan looked to her, gone was the seducer and back was the shy Stefan, "I could..."

Aella frowned, "You could, what?"

Stefan looked away for a second before taking a deep breath and looking into her confused eyes, "I could heal you with some of my blood."

"Oh!" Aella exclaimed, eyes wide open. "Y-you can do th-that?"

Stefan only nodded as Aella cleared her throat before nodding softly at him, "Okay."

"Okay?" He confirmed and at her nod he pulled back the hand from her neck and bite into the side of his palm, smirking at Aella's disguised face at the sound.

She smirked when he presented his bloodied hand, "What? Is the wrist too cliché?" Her sarcasm trying to hide her fear from all this.

After a mini pep talk in her head she leaned forward placing her lips on the self inflicted wound, wincing at first with the metallic taste until the blood rolled down her throat and quickly the disgust turned into pleasure.

With a slight moan, she opened her mouth a little wider to allow more blood to fill her mouth, not noticing the black veins surround Stefan's eyes at the sound and vision of her feeding. After her second mouthful she pulled away, already feeling the stinging on her neck fade away.

"Oh wow," She sighed licking her lips and looking up to Stefan. "Is that what's it's like for you?"  
Stefan nodded at her, "Only thousand times more intense."

Her fingers went to his hair automatically, smiling as he briefly closed his eyes in pleasure as her nails scratched his scalp. Leaning up she kissed him once more and very quickly they found themselves in their original position, Stefan gently stroking her newly healed throat as her other hand joined in stroking through Stefan's hair as he kissed her senseless.

She finally turned her face slightly to the side when she thought she might be going blue in the face.

Pulling back to look at her, knowing the look in her eyes he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

While they had been quick to start a relationship and Aella had been very quick to start sleeping in his bed, they hadn't made that final step to becoming as one.

Her hands traced over the formal shirt on his torso, unable to stop herself from repeatedly tracing his muscles through the fabric. She couldn't wait until she could finally get her hands on his actual skin.

"Stefan, I want you so much."

He smiled gently down at her, kissing her lips again before nodding as his hands slowly traced down her figure until he reached the end of her dress and began lifting the silk material up.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

"So the Council have re-assembled," Stefan said as he paced the library. He and Aella had woken to Caroline and Bonnie texting their best friend asking what Stefan thought of their discovery, very quickly Aella had texted for them to both come over so they could talk with Stefan together.

"Do you remember the first?" Aella asked from her position on one of the leather seats, in the clothes Stefan had stripped off her body last night. Last night they had crossed that line and while Aella had been awoken with blissful thoughts and Stefan's lips on her neck, the alert from her phone had brought her quickly back down to Earth.

Stefan nodded and stood in front of the roaring fireplace, "They called themselves the Town Council, members made up of the Founding Families; The Lockwoods, Forbes-" he looked pointedly at Caroline "-Fells, Gilberts and Salvatores. They became aware of the ever-growing vampire population in their town, once it became clear they had an epidemic, my father, came up with a plan to round up all of the vampires in town, lock them in the cellar of the old Fell's Church, and burn them all to death." He looked to Aella as he said his last words, "Katherine was one of the first vampires to be captured."

"Wait a second," Bonnie leant forward from her position next to Caroline on the leather sofa, looking between Aella and Stefan. "This is your ex, Katherine, right? The one Damon told Elena about, she was a vampire?!"

Bonnie had been updated by Caroline the night before during an impromptu sleepover at Caroline's.

Aella screwed her face up, "Yeah, apparently Stefan had a thing for women who liked to bite him and drink his blood 170 years ago." She thought over her sentence for a moment, "His brother too.. hmm small world."

Bonnie ignored her cousin and question her boyfriend, "So, Katherine is your Sire? Is that the right term?"

Stefan only nodded, then added, "Damon's too."

"Ouch," Caroline winced. "She sure got around."

Aella choked back a laugh, not so subtly coughing out the words, "Kettle...Black," ignoring Caroline's glare.

And so, Bonnie was brought into Stefan's world, and Aella now only had one less best friend she had to lie to. Eventually after filling in the blanks that Caroline was unsure about, how they were going to keep an eye on the council and thoughts why they would need the compass, they got onto the one subject that annoyed all of them; Damon.

"So he's down there-" she pointed down to the floor with her finger "-right now, and can't hurt us?"

Aella shook her head, standing up from her squished position in the armchair and stretching her muscles. "He's all vervained and without his ring, he wouldn't dare and to be honest, hasn't got strength to do so."

"What will you do with him?" Bonnie asked.

Stefan shrugged, not exactly sure yet, "Zach and I will discuss that today, but Damon's not going to hurt anyone else."

"And while they do that," Aella smirked evilly, "I am going to give Damon some of his own medicine." When Stefan went to his open his mouth and object Aella quickly interrupted him, "I'll be on the other side of the cellar door, I promise."

Bonnie and Caroline shared amused looks at the smirk on Aella's face, they knew all too well what that smirk could mean and only hoped Damon had a god.


	25. So... what's desiccation?

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

**ONE WEEK LATER**

> _'I shook my head. The friendship that had sprung up between Edward and Seth was something that still boggled my mind. It was proof, though, that things didn't have to be this way. That werewolves and vampires could get along just fine, thank you very much, if they were of a mind to.'_
> 
> _Not everybody liked this idea._
> 
> _'"Ah," Seth said, his voice cracking up an octave. "Er, Leah's home."'_
> 
> _'"Oh! Bye!"'_
> 
> _'The phone went dead. I left it on the seat and prepared myself mentally to go inside the house, where Charlie would be waiting.'_
> 
> _'My poor dad had so much to deal with right now. Jacob-the-runaway was just one of the straws on his overburdened back. He was almost as worried about me, his barely-a-legal-adult daughter who was about to become a Mrs. in just a few days' time. I walked slowly through the light rain, remembering the night we'd told him...'_
> 
> _'As the sound of Charlie's cruiser announced his return, the ring suddenly weighed a hundred pounds on my finger. I wanted to shove my left hand in a pocket, or maybe sit on it, but Edward's cool, firm grasp kept it front and center. "Stop fidgeting, Bella. Please try to remember that you're not confessing to a murder here."'_
> 
> _'"Easy for you to say."'_
> 
> _'I listened to the ominous sound of my father's boots clomping up the sidewalk. The key rattled in the already open door. The sound reminded me of that part of the horror movie when the victim realizes she's forgotten to lock her deadbolt...'_
> 
> _'"Calm down, Bella,"' Edward whispered, listening to the acceleration of my heart. The door slammed against the wall, and I flinched like I'd been Tasered.'_
> 
> _'"Hey, Charlie,"' Edward called, entirely relaxed.'_
> 
> _'"No!"' I hissed under my breath.'_
> 
> _'"What?"' Edward whispered back.'_
> 
> _'"Wait till he hangs his gun up!'"_

"Please give **me **a gun, just no more!"

Aella paused and looked up from her book towards Damon who was leaning on his cell door bars, agony on his face, "Apparently someone thinks they have a choice in the matter. Now where was I?"

Damon glared at the brunette, who sat comfortably on her chair that made annoying noises every time she moved... and she was a fidgeter.

**4 DAYS PREVIOUSLY**

"Now, where were we?" Aella skipped into the cellar smiling even larger when she heard Damon groan from his cell.

Damon struggled to get up, but once he did, he squinted at the witch, "Please just kill me now."

"But Damon," she smiled - not so innocently - "We only just finished Twilight, there are 3 more books, just as brilliant."

Damon motioned to the floor, "But you looked so uncomfortable yesterday. We wouldn't want you to get an achy back."

When Aella smiled brightly, once again rather than frown, Damon felt slightly scared for the first time in many years. "You're so thoughtful Damon, that's why last night when I got home and search our attic, I found- " She ran out of the room and when she returned Damon wanted out of the cellar and wanted to burn in the sun than face anything this monstrous again "-this." She pushed a bright pink inflatable armchair into the cellar. Ignoring the things she was knocking over as she rolled the big thing in. "I just knew this would come in handy one day."

Damon only groaned against the bars, "Yay, for me."

**NOW**

"Anything but Edward," Damon moaned sliding down the door, no energy to stand. "He's so whipped."

Aella closed the book with a loud 'snap' and Damon's ears sang at the sound, was she really going to leave?

"Want to hear about Jenna's date with Logan "the Scum" Fell?"

Damon groaned out loud.

"I'll take that as a yes," Aella smirked.

Stefan walked down the cellar smirking at Aella's latest strategy to annoy Damon.

"-and she says it's torturing him but, you know, I'm not so sure."

"Believe me," he heard his brother groan. "I know."

With a chuckle Stefan stepped into the cellar, looking to the closed book on Aella's lap, "I see we've finished Breaking Dawn."

"No," Aella frowned, stroking the book cover almost fondly. "We decided to take a break and talk about Jenna's date with Logan tonight."

"Oh really?" Stefan raised a very amused eyebrow at his girlfriend, who smiled cheekily at him. "We should out in a bit, do you mind giving me a few minutes with Damon."

"Apparently there is a God," Damon moaned from in his cell.

"Sure," Aella nodded as she very loudly, purposely, got off the plastic chair knowing Damon would be grimacing at the annoying sound. As he got weaker with each day, he also got more annoyed at the littlest thing. Aella kissed Stefan's cheek as she made her way past him, "I'll get my things together."

Stefan gently took a hold of her before she left and pecked her lips with his, before she left the cellar, only to stop at the top of the concrete steps to whisper a very familiar spell.

Stefan walked over to the inflatable chair and shifted it along so he could look into Damon's cell, smirking as Damon winced at the noise.

"You know as soon as I get out of here, Pixie and that thing will die very slow deaths," Damon warned looking up at his brother. "How long have I been here? Why am I here?"

"You've been in here a week."

"Really?" Damon painfully raised a brow. "I could have sworn when Pixie was reading that book it felt like a lifetime."

Stefan ignored the comment and answered Damon's second question, "During the dark ages when a vampire's actions threatened to expose or bring harm upon the entire race, they would face judgment. They sought to reeducate them rather than to punish them."

"You know what will happen if I don't... feed on blood."

"You'll grow weaker and weaker," Stefan nodded without guilt. "Eventually you won't be able to move or speak. In a few more days your skin will desiccate, and you'll mummify. A living corpse. Unable to hurt anyone. Ever."

Damon slowly chuckled at the plan "So what, you're just going to leave me in the basement, forever?"

"I've injected you with enough vervain to keep you weak. Once your circulation stops, I'll move you to the family crypt, and then in 50 years, we can reevaluate."

"I'm stronger than you think."

Stefan shrugged, "You always have been. But you're not stronger than the vervain. And we both know it." He started walking toward the stairs and Aella silently ran through the cellar door, missing his final words to his brother, "I'm sorry. It didn't have to be this way."

**AELLA'S CAR**

While Stefan drove them both to school, Stefan counted exactly 55 seconds before his girlfriend 'innocently' questioned him.

"So... what's desiccation?"

Stefan could only smirk as he kept his eyes on the road, "I wondered how long it was going to take before you asked."

Aella turned to him, annoyance replacing the innocent look, "How did you know?"

Stefan only looked at her, "Vampire."

"You mean cheater!" Aella exclaimed forgetting that key part when she had been listening in. "Cheater, cheater, pumpkin eater!"

"You know I'm not a big fan of pumpkin," Stefan grinned, knowing that would wind Aella up.

Aella looked like someone had told her Santa wasn't real, "Even pumpkin pie?"

Stefan sighed sadly, "Not really the best with blood."

Aella head swivelled towards him and saw his smirking face and hit him hard on the arm, "You're such an ass."

But Stefan only laughed at, she was so cute.

"But seriously," Aella said once he had finished laughing at her expense. "What is desiccation? Damon sound really freaked out."

"How much did Doctor Gilbert tell you?" Stefan asked, curious how she knew so little of vampire customs but was able to discover what he was so quick.

"Papa Gilbert was more into me knowing how to discover vampires, keep them away, and killing them to be honest," Aella shrugged, although her eyes sad as she remembered another father figure she had lost in such a short span of years. "Before he died we were going to delve more deeply into that stuff... but-" she shrugged again looking out of her window "-shit happened."

Stefan watched her for a few moments before he decided to answer her question rather than question her further, "When a vampire does not drink blood our bodies begin to dry out, due to our physiology being forced to feed upon itself in order to survive. Long enough and we basically look similar to mummified bodies."

"Ew!" Aella winced thinking of a mummified Damon. "And because you took his ring, he can't leave during the day either."

"Yes," Stefan nodded, answering Aella even if it was a statement. He looked down at his own ring, "The Lapis Lazuli gemstone allows us to walk freely in the day."

Aella frowned and quickly started rummaging through her bag at her feet, "Lapis Lazuli? Where have I heard that before?" Pulling out her personal spell diary that had all the spells she had seen in the limited amount of grimoires she'd had access to. She flicked through the pages until she found the page and stabbed her finger on the page, "I knew I'd heard those words before," and showed Stefan the page.

Stefan took hold of the book, his vampire speed allowing him to read the page but also keep a very concentrated gaze on the road, "Is this the spell process to create a Daywalking amulet?"

"Mhhmm," Aella nodded taking the book back.

Stefan thought it over for a moment before he looked to Aella, "Let's keep this to ourselves for now, and keep that book hidden away. Not very many witches have those kind of spells."

Aella nodded just as they pulled into the School's Car Park, she was about to get out when Stefan placed a hand on her arm, "Wait a second."

Aella grinned at him as she jokingly said, "I know I'm irresistible but we will be late if we make out."

Stefan stroked her cheek and leant in close to her and jokingly replied, "Like you would say no." Then pulled away to take a necklace out of his pocket, "but this is what I want to give you, as you broke yours to-" he gave her a pointed look "-catch Damon."

Ignoring the dig, Aella took the necklace and gasped at its beauty, "It's beautiful, how long have you had it?"

Stefan shrugged, pulling his bag from the back seats onto his lap, "The 20's I think, not the best time but this has always made think a small portion of it was good."

"Right," Aella nodded knowingly as she put the necklace on, smiling as it rested at the perfect point of her chest, "The phase about you being You-Know-Who."

Stefan snorted at her reference as they stepped out of the car with her, "I'm not sure if i'm proud or horrified."

Aella thought it over as she played with her new necklace, not noticing the slight glowing as she did so, "You know, I'm not sure either."

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

Caroline walked down the school corridor with other members of the School Council handing out flyers for the Sexy Suds Car Wash, she was just about to hang another flyer up when she saw Matt about to walk past her, head buried in his history book. "Matt."

Matt looked up in confusion at who said his name, until he saw the beaming face of Caroline looking at him, "Hey Caroline, what you up to?"

Caroline showed him one of the flyers in her hands, "Getting some attention for the Sexy Suds Car Wash tomorrow."

Matt chuckled, taking the flyer in his hand, "Are you sure this hasn't already got enough attention?"

"Well duh," Caroline laughed. "We had to call it something that people would respond to and you know the cheerleaders were the first ones to commit, and you know-" she motioned to her own body jokingly "-just saying."

What she didn't expect was for Matt to follow her own hands with his eyes as he bit his lip, that Caroline had never realized until that moment, looked so sexy. "Anyway," she shook her head from those thoughts, "will you be coming?"

Matt quickly shook his head too, he never had thought of Caroline as more than just a friend, but now thoughts were going through his head he hadn't associated with the blonde before. So he decided to turn to a subject they both knew of so well, "Do you think Aella would allow me not to come if she had too?"

Caroline snorted at the thought, "You know Principle Weber said the volunteer numbers have reached an all-time high because of her, he doesn't care that Aella chooses not to show up or sleep through the School Council meetings anymore."

"That sounds like Aella," Matt laughed with Caroline ignorant to the two people now staring at them from down the corridor.

"What are they saying? Why are they laughing?" Aella poked her boyfriend's stomach repeatedly as she turned her back on the couple as if the two wouldn't recognize their friend or her very tall boyfriend.

Stefan chuckled, "You can do that too."

Aella pouted and jumped up and down in the spot, having a small tantrum, at her boyfriends teasing, "What's the point on having a vampire boyfriend if you can't use him for his super hearing."

"Oh be still my heart," Stefan in a deadpan voice.

"Oh it's already still, you drama queen," Aella hit his chest. "Now what are they saying?"

Stefan tried to still the forming smile on his face but could not and decided to do as his girlfriend asked, "Well they were discussing the Car Wash tomorrow, and now Matt is heading over to Tyler with a smile on his face."

Aella smiled brightly and started jumping on the spot, this time in excitement, "Really? What's he saying to Tyler?"

"That they'll be meeting at the Grill at 5, and now they've separated."

Aella smile fell, "But he was smiling, why are they not gossiping?"

Stefan pulled her into his chest, not liking the sad face on his girlfriends face, "Because guys do that in private, say the Grill at 5."

"Oh," she muffled into his chest. "Okay."

"Aella?"

Aella froze at her best friend's voice. "Caroline," she quickly turned putting a smile on her face, "How did you know that was me?"

Caroline rose a brow at her best friend, "Oh I don't know," she replied slowly, her voice full of sarcasm, "Couldn't it be the fact you're my best friend so of course, I know what you look like from the back, not to mention you're so small I can literally see Stefan's head from the other end of the corridor..

"Well that was mean," Aella pouted over her shoulder at Stefan.

"Anyway!" Caroline waved her hands, almost to slide the conversation along, "What time are we meeting at The Grill?"

"For what?" Aella shrugged.

"For tomorrow," Caroline sighed in annoyance, noticing as a smirk grew on the brunettes face.

"What's tomorrow?" Aella tried not to smile as she watched Matt quickly look Caroline up and down as he walked away from Tyler and an idea came into her head just as Caroline's face turned bright red from rage as Aella purposely wound her up. "5 sounds great, C," Aella smirked and walked away pulling a sniggering Stefan along with her as Caroline stomped her foot and walked away in the opposite direction.

"What are you up to?" Stefan asked Aella as he wrapped an arm around her. "I thought you were helping Jenna after school?"

"Don't worry Stefan," Aella turned and pecked her boyfriend on the cheek, smiling sweetly, then walked into her classroom.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

"Seriously, what are you up to?" Stefan questioned Aella as she parked up in front of his house, turning the ignition off.

"Me? Up to anything?" Aella asked, eyes wide open.

Stefan only sighed and leaned across the center console to peck her goodbye, she had a full evening ahead. Aella smiled into the kiss when she felt a chill in her bones and pulled back slightly, brow furrowed. Stefan was just about to ask her what was the issue when her eyes widened at the familiar feeling it was when "Zach!"

Stefan didn't have to ask any questions and sped into the house, Aella following after him as quickly as she humanly could.

"Unlock it. Unlock the door, Zach," Aella heard Damon shouting and made it down the stairs just in time to see Stefan wrestle Zach out of Damon's grasp. Aella didn't waste any time and flew her hand up allowing the energy around her to pick Damon out of Stefan's arms and throw Damon into the back of the cell.

Stefan walked to the cell door, glaring down at his brother, "Keep it up, Damon. The more energy you expend, the faster you'll go."

"I thought you said he couldn't hurt anyone?" Aella asked Stefan as she knelt by Zach holding a cold compress to his neck once they were back upstairs. Stefan nodded towards the door, and Aella stood looking down at his nephew, "Keep that on for another 10 minutes Zach."

Zach only nodded, his throat too swollen to say anything.

"So?" Aella question once they were next to her car.

"He's getting desperate," Stefan shrugged. "He won't be able to even talk by the end of the day."

Aella only sighed looking back to the house before looking up to Stefan, "That's what worries me, Stefan, don't underestimate desperate people, you never know how far they will go to get what they want."

Stefan only pulled her close and muttered against her hair, "Don't worry about Damon," before pecking her forehead, "now don't you have an Aunt to help?"

"Okay," she nodded rolling his eyes at the change of conversation. Leaning up on her toes she kissed his lips and left him waving from the driveway.


	26. A penguin is driving along the highway when...

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Caroline entered The Grill at 5 minutes after 5 and looked around for her best friend who was always on time for a get-together, a trait her parents had instilled in her since she was young.

Walking past the pool tables, she didn't realize she had a frown on her face until a familiar voice questioned her, "Hey Caroline, are you okay?"

Caroline whirled round to meet the face on the male voice, a smile replacing the frown when she stared into the blue eyes of Matt Donovan, "Hey, Matt, um, have you seen Aella?"

"Nope," he shrugged with a small smile now he realized she wasn't distressed as she looked. "If you want to kill some time, um, you can rack?"

"Rack?" Caroline frowned unsure of what he just asked, desperate to not look down at her own 'rack.'

Matt only chuckled, somehow working out what was going through Caroline's mind at her wide eyes, "I mean play some pool," he gestured behind him, and he could see Caroline physical relax. "Come on. You're the only one of our group I haven't faced before, I'll let you break."

And Caroline only smiled, taking the offered pool cue.

**JENNA'S CAR**

"I'm so sorry we're running late," Jenna sighed as she tried to calm herself down before her date.

Was this a good idea?

"It's no problem," Aella waved her off distracted by the beautiful green trees they passed to reach The Grill.

Jenna looked over at her confused, "What? Miss, I Hate Being Late To Everything, is not bothered?"

"Oh," Aella sat up, eyes wide, and laughed not so subtly at her error, "I meant that... Caroline um... she said she was going to be a little late... so it's um... no problem." Aella sarcastically applauded herself mentally at the massive lie she had horribly come up with, by the way, Jenna was looking at her, brow raised.

"Hmmmhmm," Jenna snorted staring at Aella for a moment before focusing back on the road. "Not happening Aella Bennett, spill... now."

Aella stared at the side of her guardians face before she sighed in annoyance, "Fine, I may be slightly, most probably, but definitely not presumably setting up Caroline and Matt." She squeezed her eyes shut waiting for her adoptive Aunt to yell but instead, she heard, what could possible me described at a cat dying, her Aunt squealed excitedly at the thought.

"Caroline and Matt!" Quickly facing the strawberry blonde, Aella watched her Aunt nod desperately at the thought, "Yes! That would so work?"

"Really?" Aella question, her smile now growing at someone finally seeing what she saw.

"Yes," Jenna nodded again. "Now tell me all the gossip, before I turn this car around and leave Logan from all my nerves."

**MYSTIC GRILL**

"And there she was, all nonchalant, sat with my dad and Steven like it's no big deal that not only was she in my dad's kitchen, hours away from here, but she had also beat me there!" Caroline laughed as she hit the ball into the corner pocket, doing a little dance in celebration. "All because I left my cell at home and she didn't want to not have our nightly chats. Aella said it was for my safety... but..."

"Yeah," Matt chuckled at her dance, "I'm not gonna lie. Aella freaks me out how perceptive she can be, it's so weird sometimes."

Caroline knew that exact feeling, and now she knew why, so with a sighed she just nodded, "Yeah." Looking down at her cell, she noticed the lack of texts or calls from her best friend. Where was that perception now?

"How late is she?" Matt frowned, concerned Aella was late at all, this was nothing like his brunette friend, especially with Caroline.

Caroline groaned, "Nearly half an hour, but I know nothing's wrong though, she was helping Jenna for her date, and I know what Jenna can be like." She pocketed the cell phone and looked over the table at Matt as he missed his shot, "Which makes me wonder why you were here alone?"

Matt looked at his watch, "I was supposed to meet Tyler at 5, but he's always late, so I'm not too worried."

..............................................

..............................................

"Okay!" Jenna chuckled as she and Aella made it to the doors of The Grill. "We made it, and I'm only 10 minutes late for my date."

Aella chuckled at Jenna and shrugged, "Shows him that you're not desperate but are still interested."

Jenna chuckled and went to put her keys away when she realized she had forgotten her purse, "Crap! My purse, I will not be one of those women who demand a man pays for their dinner. I'm going back to the car, I'll see you in there."

"You got it, dude," Aella smirked, thumbs up as Jenna jogged away walking into The Grill, ignoring her Aunt's calls that she was going to tell Caroline she said that and she better tell her the gossip of Matt and Caroline later.

Walking in she immediately looked out for her blonde best friend, smiling widely and doing a little dance when she realized that Caroline and Matt were not only playing pool together but also laughing. She didn't really want to break it up.

About to head their way, Aella's eyes subconsciously scanned the local hang out, pausing her steps when she saw Logan, not with her Aunt, but Sheriff Forbes; two members of, the recently discovered, Town Council. Quickly moving over to the spare booth behind the one Liz sat in, Aella spun her fingers around whispering the words that were becoming way too familiar, "Soat sunt soni quidam errantes audiente me sic procul."

"-over the entire west side of the lake. All the caverns by the falls were clean, no signs of habitat," the Sheriff was telling Logan.

"Then they're staying in town," Aella gulped, she knew exactly who the 'they're' they were talking about.

"We canvassed all abandoned buildings and warehouses."

We? Aella wondered to herself, were the entire police department in on this?

"There has to be a private residence," Logan demanded but Liz was quick to agree unhappily with the thought, "And that much harder to locate, if not impossible. These creatures are smart. They know how to go undetected."

"Well, someone who only comes out at night should eventually become obvious," Aella could almost see him shrugging all knowingly.

So they didn't know much about modern vampires, more based on the information from the first Town Council by the sound, Aella thought to herself.

"What about the watch?" The Sheriff asked, and Aella's eyes went wide at the words.

"I'm working on it."

Like hell he was.

"I knew the Gilberts. That watch is passed down to the men in the family."

Aella saw Jenna's hair enter The Grill and quickly made her way over to Caroline and Matt as she heard Liz's final words, "I'd start with Jeremy."

Over her dead body.

"-I'm just glad I had someone to talk to."

"-Talk to who?" Aella jumped into Caroline and Matt's conversation. "I'm so sorry that I'm late, Jenna was talking forever choosing what to wear and then took my cell away when I was ignoring her."

Caroline was quick to turn on her best friend, "And why couldn't you text me in the car?"

Holding her hands up, Aella leaned against the pool table, "She literally gave it to me back outside, ask her-" she motioned to Jenna who was not sat with Logan "-go ask her."

She knew Caroline wouldn't, plus Jenna would back her up if she wanted the gossip tonight, so Aella wasn't worried.

"Fine," Caroline agreed through gritted teeth. "Now we just have to wait for Tyler."

"Oh," Aella stared at Caroline wide-eyed, thankfully her best friend was focused on Matt to notice the glint in her best friends eyes, "Is Tyler late?"

"Yeah," Matt smiled politely waving the two away. "Don't worry about me."

Caroline shook her head firmly, "No, you let me wait with you. Now we're waiting with you. No way."

Matt had to look away to hide the smile forming on his face, but Aella saw the curve of his lips as he turned away, doing a happy dance in her head. When her eyes wandered over to Jenna and Logan, she saw the familiar head of Tyler making his way through the crowd, slightly out of breath. "Oh look, it's Tyler."

Matt and Caroline were quick to stare at the football player, Matt swift to question his friend, "Where have you been, man?"

"Sorry dude," Tyler shrugged leaning next to Aella on the pool table. "Elena wanted to speak to me and wouldn't shut up."

"Really?" Caroline raised a brow at her friend's unusual behavior, once again missing the sly smile Aella had on her face, and she looked away from the trio.

**FLASHBACK EARLIER THAT DAY**

_ **"Elena," Aella pulled her best friend aside when they finished English the only class just the two have them just had together. "I need a favor?"** _

_ **Elena raised a brow and rested on one of the desks, "I'm listening."** _

_ **"How do you feel about running interference with our very own Tyler Lockwood today?" Aella smiled, bouncing in her place.** _

_ **Elena knew what that smile meant with Aella and grew slightly concerned, "What have you done?"** _

_ **"Nothing," Aella was quick to assure her raising her hands innocently. "But it may help two of our favorite people realize something."** _

_ **"Who?"** _

_ **"Caroline and Matt."** _

_ **Elena was quick to stand up shaking her head negatively, "No way-" but stopped herself as she thought it over, only to turn and face her grinning friend. "Yes way," Aella nodded grinning widely.** _

_ **And Elena was in on the plan.** _

**NOW**

Matt was confused, "So she didn't actually need you for anything?"

"No," Tyler laughed, totally confused too.

But Caroline wasn't confused once she saw the smirk on Aella's face and the brunette was quick to remove the grin and wink at her best friend instead, she knew something smelt witchy. "Well now we have everyone here we better get onto planning the Carwash tomorrow," Caroline smiled tightly and pulled Aella over to one of the free tables, thanking Matt over her shoulder, missing his sad smile at her departure. "Did you have something to do with Elena and Tyler?" Caroline demanded once they were sat down.

Aella picked up the menu off the table as she scanned the laminated card, before she looked over it to her best, eyes glistening, "Maybe."

But instead of yelling at her, or hitting her, Caroline squealed throwing the menu aside and taking hold of her best friends hands, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Aella was quick to shush her as Matt and Tyler glanced at them following the blondes squeal, "Shush or all of Mystic Falls will know too."

Caroline zipped her lips, but her smile quickly took over her closed lips and instead kissed their joined hands laughing with Aella, then let go and took hold of the folder she had placed on the table, "Now, even though I'm thrilled, we're SO behind on the planning tomorrow."

Aella nodded and took hold of one of the flyers, "So who's in, and whom do I have to threaten."

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

Jeremy was laid on his bed, turning at the antique pocket watch in his hands as he thought at what he saw Bonnie do? Not do? At the party, when a knock echoed through his room, "Yeah?" He answered waiting for whoever to open the door. What he wasn't expecting was the girl, until recently, he thought he loved.

"I come in peace," Vicki smiled half-heartedly as she stuck her head through the door.

Sitting up Jeremy was quick to place the pocket watch on his side table and stand up, "What are you doing here Vick?"

Vicki shrugged, stepping into the room and closing the door leaning against, "I looked for you at school today after I thought over what you said to me."

Jeremy scoffed, "Well obviously you didn't listen, or you wouldn't be here."

"Jer.. please," Vicki whispered, but Jeremy had had enough and walked over to the door opening it up. "You made it clear how you felt for me when you said yes to Tyler's invite to the Founders Party."

Vicki stepped forward to him, but he turned his head and pulled the door open slightly more. Vicki tearfully nodded and walked out the room wincing when Jeremy shut the door.

"Congratulations Vicki," she sighed walking to the stairs. "You really messed this up."

"Vicki."

Ignoring the slight whisper in her ear, she started walking down the stairs.

"Vicki."

Turning at her name, Vicki looked to Jeremy's door happily, but that feeling was quickly deflated and continued down the stairs.

When she opened the front door, she jumped back in shock at the black crow sitting on the porch railing, "Shoo, shoo," she waved the bird away and made her way home.

**SEXY SUDS CAR WASH**

** **

The next day the car wash was in full swing, Caroline and all the 'volunteers' had really outdone themselves, cars had been pulling in every couple of minutes, and already they had passed their goal. While Coach Tanner hadn't been everyone's cup of tea, no one should go out like that, and this was the way could pay their respect to the man.

Caroline, who was operating the pay station, was quick to hand out duties once her group of friends had arrived; Jeremy, Bonnie, and Matt working together and Stefan, Aella, Elena and Tyler working together.

Aella was quick to strip down to her bikini and shorts, not bothered about her body in the slightest, so what if she had some love handles and a few stretch marks around her hips, that was what she had to endure by becoming a woman and dammit she was proud of them!

While Elena, still in her top, and Tyler cleaned the front of the car, Aella and Stefan had moved to the back; Stefan keeping his eye on Aella as she danced around the car with her soapy sponge.

"So how's Hannibal Lecter doing?" Aella asked as she spun over to Stefan as the latest song ended, keeping her voice low knowing Stefan could hear her.

Stefan shrugged while he cleaned, "He should be harmless by tomorrow night."

Aella watched him for a few moments, "You know, I never asked how you felt about this? After all, he is your brother."

Stefan thought over her words, a small part of him wanted to tell her that he hated doing this to his brother, yet the moral side bigger side within him was telling him this had to be done - no more needed to be hurt. The Stefan before Aella would have just smiled and said it was okay but instead he sighed sadly at his girlfriend and told her the truth, "It hurts to have to do this to my brother, but it needed to be done."

Aella smiled in appreciation at his honesty and just nodded, with her own sad smile, that was all she needed to hear. Looking down at her bucket she saw the green hose and decided that Stefan needed to be distracted and so she picked up the green hose.

"Hey, Stefan?"

Stefan looked up with an "hmm?" Only to be squirted in the face with ice cold water.

Stefan laughed softly in shock, as he wiped his eyes water free, only to see his girlfriend holding the hose in her two hands, smile wide, "Did you really just...?"

"Oh," Aella looked down at the hose in mock shock. "Did I just surprise an actual predator with boring old water?" Her fake shock quickly changed into a cocky grin.

Stefan dipped his sponge in the soapy water and pointed at Aella as she slowly started stepping back, seeing the challenge in her eyes, vamp speed or not Stefan was still pretty fast, "You're going down Pixie."

Aella only stuck her tongue out at him before spinning on the spot and running which she shouted over her shoulder, "Bring it on Edward!"

Stefan chased Aella around the car, letting her gain some distance, while the group watched them having their own fun. He caught her between their two group of friends and her squeezed the sponge over Aella's head drenching the brunette as she and their friends, even Tyler, laughed at the moment.

"Okay, okay-" Aella held her hands up as she giggled "-I surrender."

Stefan laughed with her as he gently wiped the suds and water from her face, Aella still giggling when she rose to her toes and lovingly kissed Stefan on the lips.

"-Enough with the free peep show people, we have cars to wash!" Caroline shouted out when she noticed the lack of car washing. Marching over to the couple she frowned between the two, "I should have known it would be something to do with you two."

Stefan and Aella glanced at each, desperately tried not to let their smiles break through, and both mumbled to the blonde, "Sorry Caroline."

Caroline's head rose a little at the power and turned to head back to her pay station when she saw Elena, still in her maroon shirt, "Um, Elena? What the hell are you doing?"

Elena turned to Caroline, sponge in hand, confused by the blonde's words, "Cleaning this car?"

Caroline shook her head in disgust, "No? I mean the hell are you wearing? The event is called sexy suds, you know." And with that the blonde walked off, eyebrow raised.

"Did we just get scolded?" Stefan snorted looking between himself, Aella and Elena.

"And judged," Elena nodded, not surprised at her friend's action at all. "Yeah."

"Wow."

"Are you kidding me?" Aella laughed at the two of them walking over to Elena, "That was Caroline channeling Rosalie Cullen rather than the Volturi, wait until it's prom or a huge party." She took hold of Elena's shirt and tugged it up, "Lift em up."

Elena, knowing precisely what Aella was like, didn't even question her best friend undressing her and instead rolled her eyes and lifted her arms, only to get stuck in the shirt as she bent her arms a little too early, Aella snorts of laughter not doing anything to help her get untangled, "Aella, help me."

Stefan watched the girls laugh as Tyler stood next to him, watching the two girls for an entirely different reason, "Now that's what I expected when I sighed up to this stupid thing." He smirked, not noticing Bonnie stepping towards the two at her cousins and best friends laughter, nor did her see the tightening of Stefan's grip on his sponge at the look in Tyler's eyes, he tapped Stefan on the back, "Your a lucky son of a bitch, Salvatore."

Bonnie grimaced at his words, "You're sick Tyler," throwing the dry cloth at Tyler when he turned in shock at her voice, she had not missed the fact that Stefan hadn't moved and his hand was white from the tension he had on the sponge. "Why don't you actually go and work for once in your life."

Tyler just shrugged and left the two as Bonnie stood next to Stefan, "He's just a jealous ass." Stefan only smiled tightly back at her, so Bonnie tapped him on the shoulder just had Tyler had done and smirked, "But he is right you know-" looking to Aella and a freed Elena when Stefan turned to her, and she glanced up at him "-you are one lucky SOB."

Stefan showed his gratitude by laughing at her words, knowing they came from only love while Tyler's had been anything but.

"What are you two laughing at?" Aella smirked walking over the two.

Stefan smiled at his girlfriend's cousin, "Bonnie was just telling me a joke."

Aella's eye went wide at the words and jumped up and down in the spot, "Oh. Can I go next, I have a joke. Pleeaasseeeeeeee."

Bonnie raised her brow at her cousin, "Does it mention anything about cheerleaders or awkward sexual positions?"

"Ummm?" Aella thought out loud as she went through the joke in her head before smiling and announcing with a fierce shake of her head, "Nope."

"Oh c'mon Bonnie," Jeremy smiled over from his car and wiggled his brows at the girl who had been on his mind since the Founder's Party. "You know Aella only gets excited at the funniest ones."

"That's true," Aella was quick to agree, pointing at her surrogate brother.

Bonnie groaned out loud and waved her hands at her cousin, "Fine, go ahead."

Aella practically cackled out loud and waited for an eager Matt, Tyler, and Jeremy to come closer before she started talking with her 'story' voice, "A penguin is driving along the highway when suddenly his engine starts running rough, and he sees smoke in his rear view mirror. He pulls off the highway and finds the nearest service station, and pulls up to the garage with the car shaking and sputtering. He tells the mechanic what happened, and the mechanic says "OK, give me 10 minutes to check it out."

Bonnie and Stefan suspiciously listened on, not liking the mischief growing in Aella's eyes, "Meanwhile, the penguin sees an ice cream shop across the street. Thinking this is a perfect time for a tasty treat, he heads over and gets himself an ice cream cone. After he finishes, he walks back over to the garage, and asks the mechanic "So, did you find out what's wrong?"

Aella rubbed her hands together as a chuckle escaped her lips, she loved this joke, "The mechanic looks at the penguin and says "It looks like you blew a seal. The penguin quickly wipes his face and says "Oh, no, that's just the ice cream."

Aella and the boys burst out laughing while Elena shouted at her, Stefan just shook his head in humor, and Bonnie stomped of with disgust on her face as she muttered to herself questioning how she was related to Aella.


	27. I think Jenna is shouting at God again.

**SEXY SUDS CAR WASH**

When the clock hit the afternoon, the carwash was still going strong, Aella looked up just to see her adoptive Aunts car pull up to Caroline to pay. Aella left her position and jogged over to the two, "Hey Caroline,-" she looked pointedly at Jenna "-I think this car needs to be charged triple for not volunteering!"

"Hey!" Jenna exclaimed, shoving the brunette. "I got you three up this morning with coffee, I deserve a freebie!"

"Ha!" Aella scoffed out loud, as she pocketed her cloth and sauntered over to the two deciding to put on a New York accent, and nodded her head over to Caroline, "I'm sorry, but Mystic Falls' version of Miranda Priestly made it very clear this morning to us mere slaves. No friend discounts. No freebies. No pay ya laters. We are not running a charity here!"

Caroline pushed her out of the way with a tight grin and a nervous laugh when Aella's show started to attract the attention of pay customers, "Okay that's enough now," she quickly lowered her voice and leaned down to Jenna, "take her away, and you get the full work up for nothing."

Before Aella could object, Jenna was pulling a giggle Aella away from the customers and back to their group, who also had been watching the show with large grins; there was only one person that could get under Caroline's skin like that and get away with it.

Jeremy moved over to Matt and Tyler, holding his hand out to them both, "Pay up, she lasted less than 3 hours before she got annoyed at Aella."

"15 more minutes," Matt whined, slapping the $20 into Jeremy's hand.

Bonnie giggled at his frown and looked over at Tyler, as Aella came over after hearing Jeremy's comment, "How long did you say Ty?"

"4 hours," he grumbled and practically threw the $20 at Jeremy.

"Aww, thanks Ty," Aella expressed grinning and Tyler quickly bucked up, but that was shot down when Aella snorted as she walked away, "But 4 hours was WAY too generous."

Matt grimaced at Aella's sentence, it wasn't her fault that she didn't know Tyler had the biggest crush on her, so to anyone else that would have just been funny but to Tyler, it was anything but as his face fell, "At least she smiled and thanked you." Matt tried to make his friend feel better.

Tyler sneered as he watched the brunette skip back over to Jenna, "Yeah, then called me dumb."

"Maybe it's time to face it, Ty," Bonnie smiled gently at him, "Aella just sees you as a friend, and she's really happy with Stefan. Why don't you focus on yourself and find someone who makes you happy." Not noticing Matt look over at Caroline at her words, her focus only on Tyler.

Tyler pulled a face then nodded, "Yeah your right." At that moment two cheerleaders walked past, and Tyler's eyes drew to them, "Time to make me happy," and he walked after them admiring the view from the back.

"What?" Jeremy choked back a laugh as Matt slapped his back and Bonnie shook her head.

"That's Tyler for you," Matt shrugged and went back to cleaning leaving Jeremy and Bonnie alone.

Bonnie looked at him for the first time that day, it wasn't lost on the both of them that she was purposely ignoring his gaze every time he tried to meet hers. He had seen something she didn't even know was possible at the party and she didn't know how to handle it.

Jeremy took a big breath, "Look, Bonnie, about what hap-"

"-Oh look, a new car," Bonnie interrupted him and started walking back to the car. "Talk soon Jer."

When she had practically run away, Jeremy threw the cloth down in into his bucket in frustration and got back to his car.

..............................................

..............................................

Aella had just finished her car when she walked over to Jenna and Elena, who was watching the WPKW9 News van park up and Logan with his cameraman and producer get out, "What's ScumFell doing here?"

Jenna just shrugged, and Elena suggested, "Slow day?"

Logan started talking to the camera and Jenna began to walk forward when Aella grabbed her hand stopping her, "What are you doing?"

Jenna turned to Aella in confusion, "Going to get a better look, that okay Mom?"

"No that's not okay," Aella frowned, ignoring the 'Mom' comment and looked to Elena batting her lashes at her. "Doesn't it look like she's chasing after him if she goes and stares longingly at him while he reports?"

"I do not stare longingly!" Jenna exclaimed, but at Elena's and Aella's unimpressed looks she looked at them questioningly, now slightly uncomfortable, "Do I?"

Elena hummed, about the sit on the fence, until Aella nudged her with her elbow and she instead nodded, "You kinda do Aunt Jenna."

"No!" Jenna groaned, looking up at the sky in frustration, "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Who's doing what to whom?" Stefan asked stepping up to the group as Aella squinted up at the sky.

"I think Jenna is shouting at God again," Aella told him still squinting at the sky, hoping for once there would be an answer.

Jenna whacked Aella on the arm, ignoring the brunette's 'ow,' "You make me sound like a crazy person." Jenna turned to Stefan, "Stefan, answer me this?"

"Go for it," Stefan nodded, throwing his towel over his shoulder.

"If you were, say a news anchor," Jenna started, ignoring Aella and Elena's snorts, as Stefan immediately looked over to Logan and back to her. "And a girl came over and leaned against your news van to watch you reporting, would you feel like that was admiring, or just being curious?"

Stefan hid his grin as Aella hid her laughing face in his back, Jenna was fooling no one, "She's leaned against the van?" Stefan confirmed as serious as he could with the giggling girl jostling him.

"Yes?" Jenna answered with uncertainty if just that action changed anything, glaring over at Elena who now joined Aella behind Stefan with Elena trying to hide her laughter.

"Sorry Jenna," Stefan shrugged, chuckling when Aella 'Ha!-d' at Jenna. "Sound like she would be pretty interested."

"Well, shit!" Jenna glowered then an idea popped into her head. "What if said girl and her niece's boyfriend casually walk over and watch. Would that be admiring, or curious?"

Stefan ignored Aella's whispers of not to go to the dark side and nodded at his girlfriends adopted Aunt, "Yeah, that would be curious and not admiring."

Stefan didn't expect it, but from the silence of Aella and Elena, they sure did.

"Great!" Jenna took hold of him and dragged him with her as she called over to Elena and Aella, "Suck it, girls!"

Aella frowned at Elena, "She's our guardian?"

Elena could only stare at her Aunt, "Apparently."

"Elena! Aella!" Caroline shouted at the two. "Back to work!"

"Yes boss," the two saluted to Caroline and ran to help Matt with a car, unaware of the camera that was pointed towards them.

"-All proceeds are going to the school's athletic department still healing from the tragic death of their football coach William Tanner. The citizens of Mystic Falls coming together in support of one of their own." Logan reported towards the camera, not noticing the small group coming towards him. "Cut it," he directed handing off the microphone to his producer and then nudged his cameraman, the two of them looking over at Elena and Aella, as they bent over the silver car they were washing. Laughing dirtily he said to his cameraman, "You know Mike, it doesn't really matter what you say as long as you've got a young and beautiful piece of ass on tv."

Jenna stopped in her tracks, halting Stefan with her, Stefan quickly let go of her hand as his free hand tightened on the towel over his shoulder. If he'd stayed holding Jenna's hand any longer, he would have broken it, as that hand tightened into a fist. The Ripper in him was wanting just to tear the anchorman and his cameraman to pieces. He could feel his eyes darken a little and took a big sigh to stop his anger from revealing his true identity.

"Oh my god!" Jenna scowled, shaking her head, as Logan quickly turned to her direction in shock. The cameraman, noticing Stefan's big bulking form glaring at him was quick to scurry away like the rodent he was. "Sam old Logan ScumFell, you just don't change."

"Je-Jenna," Logan stuttered, but Jenna didn't give him the chance, "Cheating on me I can deal with, but perving on my two nieces-"

"-Nieces?-" Logan practically squealed.

"-Yes nieces! Or just teenagers in general Logan, that is sick!" She felt physically sick in her mouth, "You make me feel sick, have a good day Logan."

As Jenna stomped away to her car, Stefan stepped forward to Logan, fake smile on his face.

"And you are?" Logan questioned, bravado returned as Jenna walked off, but Stefan could still smell the fear on him at Stefan's height and muscles.

"I'm Stefan, I'm a big fan" he held his hand out, using every bit of his restraint not to break Logan's hand, as Logan put his hand in his to shake it. Logan nodded and put on his showbiz smile shaking Stefan's hand, but that smile quickly turned to pain as Stefan tightened his grip and pulled Logan towards him, "That girl you were just gawping at was my girlfriend and her best friend." Logan's cries of pain were silenced as Stefan held tighter, "If I see you looking at her, Jenna, or any other underage girls at this car wash that way again, you won't be able to hold your microphone ever again. You got that?"

Logan was silent, the pain his only focus, and Stefan tightened his grip to the point Logan's bones were feeling the strength, "I got it!" Logan practically screamed, and when Stefan let go he spun away quickly and jumped into the news van, telling the driver to 'just drive!' the wheels squealing as he quickly pulled away.

"You know," Stefan jumped at Aella's voice, turning to face the beaming smile of Aella as she jumped into arms. "If I didn't think I loved you before, I would most definitely now." And rewarded her knight in shining armor with a kiss.

Because sometimes you may be a tough, independent woman, but every now and then a Knight in Shining Armour or a Vampire boyfriend was allowed to be needed.

**MYSTIC FALLS CEMETERY**

"How is it, I feel so fucking alive, and I'm in a cemetery?" Vicki heard Jared laughing as she made her way over to her group of friends.

"Who's there?" Tony shouted.

Vicki made herself visible, stepping out from a large stone, waving a box of pills, "It's me, and I bring refreshments."

"Oh! Nice," Tony stood and took the bottle from her hands examining it. "Vickies from Vicki. Ha!" He tossed them over to Summer.

"Well, thank you, Elena Gilbert, whoever you are," Summer laughed as she swallowed some of the pills, reading the label.

"I took them when I was visiting her brother," Vicki sat down next to Summer and swallowed some of the pills.

"Was it that wannabe Goth Jeremy?" Jared questioned, blowing the thick white smoke through his sneering grin.

Vicki nodded glaring down at her phone, she had called both him and Tyler, but there was no answer, just their voicemails. She then remembered the CarWash and stood up, looking to her friends, "Anyone wants to go see some rich preppies clean some cars?"

**SEXY SUDS CAR WASH**

Jeremy was just finishing his side of the SUV he was washing when his eyes drifted over to Bonnie as she leaned over the green car she was drying clean. Jeremy bit his lip as he stared up and down her lean body in that brown bikini top and denim shorts.

"Now is that really the best thing to be doing?" Matt said as he stood next to Jeremy, making the younger boy jump.

Jeremy quickly got back to rinsing his car and casually asked, "Is what the best thing to be doing?"

Matt chuckled and nodded, Jeremy, and he wasn't that close to discussing that kind of stuff just yet, "Okay, dude. But if you stare at her any harder, it won't be just me who notices." Matt motioned over to Aella and Stefan, the small brunette was never far behind the latest gossip, primarily if it concerned her cousin and adopted brother.

"Please" Jeremy shrugged the suggestion off, as Aella started to kiss Stefan once more, Jeremy had to look away from the gross sight. "If Aella can take her attention away from Stefan's mouth long enough."

"I don't know dude," Matt shrugged walking backward to help Bonnie finish, "those Bennett girls are perceptive."

Jeremy just nodded and went to turn his water back on when he thought over Mat's words, 'those Bennett girls are perceptive,'" he quickly glanced over at Aella and then back to Bonnie, his mind working over. Could Aella do what Bonnie did? Then he scoffed at the thought, he didn't even know what Bonnie did, let alone if Bonnie did something. Plus Aella keep something that big from anyone? She was a walking talking mouth, she could never keep a secret. Instead, he turned his attention back to rinsing his car and glancing at Bonnie's firm backside.

Tiki stood glaring at Stefan and Aella as they kissed next to the shining BMW convertible they had just finished washing. They had been kissy and cuddly and just was to O.T.T since they had started this shit show. What did Stefan see in the crazy midget anyway? It was Tiki that was 6'2 with the glowing skin and perfect figure, what did that white Bennett girl have that she didn't?! "Why do the golden couple get the convertibles and we get the homely ones?"

Bonnie just ignored her, Tiki wasn't the only girl from the cheerleading squad that had spent most of their day glaring at Aella for taking the hottest thing to come into Mystic Falls ever, a car drove up to Tiki's spot, and Bonnie pointed to it, "Mm-hmm. Oh. Tiki. This one's yours."

Tiki scowled and then turned her jealousy of Stefan kissing Aella, and the anger at Bonnie ordering her about, towards the customer that had just driven up to her group; "Just to be clear, your car's a P.O.S. I mean, we can wash it, but it's still a P.O.S."

"You don't have to be rude."

Jeremy looked over as he heard Bonnie's frustration as she snapped at Tiki but the tall cheerleader took no notice and belittled the driver some more, "Rude is uglying up the road with that junk."

Jeremy wanted to look away, but for some reason, something in the back of his mind told him he shouldn't, he watched as Tiki bent over the bucket of suds and inserted the hose to fill the bucket some more. Jeremy moved his gaze between Bonnie and Tiki, noticing how hard Bonnie was staring down at Tiki until suddenly the tube exploded sending a force of water at Tiki. Jeremy dropped his pipe and ran over to Tiki with Matt as they tried to wrestle the hose from spraying in Tiki's face, but Jeremy didn't miss the look of surprise on Bonnie's face at the event, and how she quickly returned to the car she was working on.

"What the hell?" Tiki screamed, bring Jeremy's attention back to her and Matt as Matt finally got hold of the hose.

"Wet and wild, Tik," Matt smirked handing the cheerleader a towel, he had heard what Tiki had been saying. As he and Jeremy walked off while the whole lot laughed at Tiki, Matt nudged Jeremy, "Karma's a bitch, right?"

Jeremy laughed with him and nodded at the thought, glancing back at Bonnie, the only one not smiling or even looking at Tiki, "Right."

..............................................

..............................................

Aella walked over to Caroline who was taking some money from a customer and sat next to the blonde, "This has been a really successful day Care. I'm proud of you."

Caroline smiled with excitement, "And thank you for making everyone so scared of you that they either are cleaning cars or have brought their car here to be cleaned."

Aella mock bowed, "I try my best."

Caroline pulled Aella into a hug, smiling when Aella's arms automatically wrapped around her, "We're a good team aren't we."

"Always," Aella smiled pecking her best friend on the cheek. "Now do you want to hear how Stefan nearly broke Logan Scumfell's hand earlier."

Caroline pulled away, face lit up, "Oh my god! Spill, now!"

"Well, Elena and I-"

"-Sorry A, no time for a gossip session," Elena smiled guiltily as she stepped in front of the table. "Hey Care, we're out of towels, and those shimmy things."

"I'm on it," Caroline nodded firmly, head back in business. Aella, can you handle the money while Elena and I get more supplies?"

Aella saluted as Caroline stood up, "You can trust me, boss."

Caroline thought over the responsibility she was placing on her best friend and was about the switch Aella with Elena when Stefan came over, "Oh thank god. Stefan, you help Aella with the money. Thanks! Bye!"

When Stefan took Caroline's seat Aella was pouting, "It's like I'm not responsible or something?" But she couldn't hold the pout for long and laughed out loud, "She knows me so well."

"Too well," Stefan nodded and pulled the money box towards him, so Aella would knock it over or shortchange or even give someone back too much money because she was chatting with them (about their dogs, kids, cats, imaginary friends) and got distracted. That's the Aella, Caroline knew, and Stefan was now happily discovering.

He was just organizing the money, so the large bills were at the bottom of the lock boss when he heard Aella happily greet some, "Good afternoon Sir, that will be $20." he could hear the person shuffling around and the and old voice talk to his girlfriend, "I've only got $50, can you change?"

"We sure can Sir, Stefan?" He looked over at his girlfriend who waved the $50 bill in his face, both not noticing the old man take in a gasp of air in surprise. "Can you change this please?"

"I know you," the old man gasped, and the couple quickly turned their heads towards him. "My God."


	28. I've got the Power! Whoo!

**SEXY SUDS CAR WASH**

Aella had never seen someone look so shocked, "Sir, are you okay?"

But the man didn't look at Aella, he stared at Stefan who was starting to become very uncomfortable, "I know you. How can it be?"

Aella had a feeling that the old man wasn't talking about Stefan like he resembled a celebrity especially when the old man shook his head in disbelief, "You haven't aged a day."

Aella laughed uncomfortably as Stefan struggled to say anything, "I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong person. This is Stefan Salvatore."

"Yes," The old man nodded and finally turned his attention back to Aella, Stefan quick to make his way back to the car washing, he knew Aella could deal with this; she had a lifetime of covering up her abilities. "His name was was Stefan too. Stefan was just passing through to visit his uncle when I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore boarding house and met him. That's him."

"No Sir," Aella sadly shook her head, she hated the fact that she had to lie to this lovely old man. "Stefan is only 17, but he was named after his Great Uncle Stefan because he resembled him so much. They are two different people."

When the confusion spread across his face, Aella felt like the worst person on Earth, but it had to be done, "He is? Oh, tell that young man I'm sorry for scaring him."

"That's okay Sir."

"Terrible what happened to his Great Uncle, just terrible," the man muttered.

"Terrible?" Aella couldn't help but wonder.

"Mm-mmm," he nodded pocketing his change. "Joseph, 1953 if I recall. An animal attack, just terrible."

Aella slowly nodded, she knew that it was probably no animal attack, more like Damon attack, "I'm sure it was Sir."

"-Grandpa, you gotta go. Mom wants you home. Ok?" Tiki came over and spoke to the old man, only then did Aella realize a queue was building up.

The old man nodded and walked away, "He wasn't bugging you, was he?" Tiki asked as she took some money from the next person in line. She looked over at Aella who was watching Tiki's grandfather walk away. "He's a little alzy-heimer."

"No," Aella laughed through her guilt of probably only adding to his confusion. "He was lovely. You're lucky to have such a wonderful grandfather."

Tiki smiled tightly at the brunette, it was then she realized that she may not have Stefan or friends as Aella did, but she did have her family who were alive and only a phone call away.

"Look, do you mind holding the fort for a few minutes?" Aella asked, oblivious to Tiki's guilt at her earlier thoughts, as the cheerleader nodded quickly and told her to go ahead.

Aella smiled in thanks and running in direction Stefan had gone. Stefan was using one of the tall SUVs as cover while he washed the car, but Aella could see his mind was focused on something else as he watched Tiki's grandfather walk away. "Hey, are you okay?"

Stefan nodded, he had heard and felt Aella approaching, he looked over at his girlfriend, "Now you see the negative side of it all."

"I know," Aella smiled gently. She slid into his arms, and he did nothing to stop her as he let the cloth drop on the car bonnet and held her close to him. "I've not felt that bad in a long time, he was so sure, and I made him feel like he was crazy."

"I'm sorry," he pecked the top of head and held her close.

Aella shrugged, smiling into his chest, "If that happens only a few times compared to all the positives we'll have together, it'll be worth it."

Stefan leaned down as Aella raised up on her tiptoes, she leaned forward, placing her face an inch from his, he took advantage of her proximity and he leaned forward to kiss her, drawing his colossal palm (that had been near to breaking someone's hand only an hour ago for her) around the back of her neck to hold her to him.

"Jeremy, no!"

The two broke away from each other as Bonnie squealed, running away from Jeremy who was squirting her with the hose. But from the wetness of his hair, Aella had to guess he hadn't been the one to start it. The two laughed and held each other closer watching the fun with smiles on their faces.

On the other side of the CarWash, Vicky glared at the two, she hadn't seen Jeremy smile like that with her, ever. Looking past the two giggling girls, her eyes focused on Tyler who had his arms around one of the dumb cheerleaders 'showing' her how to buff the car properly.

Vicky felt sick, they didn't need her, and when Aella jumped on Matt, her Matty, joining her and him on the water fight Vicky felt as if she shouldn't even be on this Earth anymore. Holding back the tears she stumbled away making her way back to the cemetery, she had come alone, everyone more focus on getting high than doing anything else.

She was just about the leave the school grounds when she heard the happy tones of Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes, god how she hated those two, not as much as Aella Bennett, but pretty close.

"It was so nice of the Nurse to let us store all this in her office so we wouldn't have to walk across half the school to get supplies," Elena laugh, hands full with two boxes.

"She offered when she was looking at my cut and when I told her of the struggle she just offered," Caroline explained, smiling with Elena at the kindness of the school nurse. "But only you, me and Aella know it's open today. Don't want anyone getting into the school's supplies of drugs."

Vicky's interest was peaked as Elena scoffed her voice growing softer as the two walked past Vicky not seeing her from her crouched down position, "Or letting Aella at the suckers, I swear she only knocks herself in gym class, so she gets a sucker and a sticker."

Vicky saw the door to the school closing and ran out from her hiding spot quickly, just able to catch the door handle before the door locked itself, 'Thank you, MFHS for buying the expensive soft closing doors' she thought, not noticing the black crow above her as she made her way into the school.

..............................................

..............................................

Aella was finishing the SUV Stefan had hidden behind, while Stefan moved onto the next car with a peck goodbye Aella headed back over to the money desk to relieve Tiki before Caroline got back, she switched with Tiki when she saw Sheriff Forbes walk over to the counter, "Good afternoon Sheriff! Caught any bank robbers today?"

Liz laughed, it was a running joke between her and Aella from when she first came after her parents died, she had introduced herself as Sheriff Forbes and Aella, for the first time in weeks according to Sheila, had gasped in delight at meeting a Sheriff. Apparently, she and her father had loved old westerns, and because they had always lived in big towns with Sergeants and Captains, she had never met a Sheriff before and assumed that her main focus was catching bank robbers like in the westerns. Of course, Aella knew that wasn't what Liz actually did during that first meeting, but it triggered the happy, sarcastic, fun, energetic girl, to appear; for just a moment and Liz just wanted her to meet her daughter immediately after that.

She could never imagine that Aella would become almost a second daughter to her, the best friend to her daughter and a loving member of the community so quickly, but she loved her.

"Not today Aella, but you'll be the first one to know if I do."

"Awesome!" Aella did a little dance in her seat. "Here for a Car Wash?"

"I've got to support Caroline, can you imagine if I didn't show up?" Liz sighed at the thought of what Caroline would do while Aella only laughed at it.

"That'll be $20 Sheriff," Aella told her, and when she handed over the cash Aella looked around for Caroline, "C was just getting towels with Elena, are you okay to wai-"

_"-...Sheriff... you okay remove some kids.... smoking up at the cemetery?_" Liz's radio crackled as the Sheriff looked down at Aella guiltily. She could only think to herself, 'at least you made it this time Liz; hopefully, your kid won't be too mad at you.'.

Aella handed back Liz's money with a sad smile when Liz went to answer it, but Liz shook her head and whispered, "Let's call it a donation," but she turned around to answer her call, heading to her cruiser.

Aella sighed in disappointment, Caroline let down by her Mom... again.

..............................................

..............................................

Vicki stormed into the school, one thing on her mind; drugs. She practically ran towards the nurse's door when she felt a presence behind her that made her stop her wide stride walk.

_"Vicky."_

Vicky felt her body freeze up.

_"Vicky help me."_

The hairs on her skin stood up as the corridor suddenly felt colder.

_"Help me. Help me."_

Vicky felt a cold breath on her neck and spun on the spot, she gasped as her eyes met a pair of tired blue eyes.

_"Help me, Vicky."_

..............................................

..............................................

Aella approached Caroline after she had handed out replacement towels and shimmies, "Hey C?"

"Mmmm?" Caroline answered eyes on her clipboard.

"You missed your Mom."

Caroline's head shot up, a smile on her face, "My Mom was here? Who did her car? It wasn't Cara, was it? Great body to draw the drivers in but her cleaning techniques are questionable."

Aella laughed uncomfortably, "That's the thing C, she came but-"

"-but she got called away?" Caroline jumped in, smile gone and hands turning white from her grip on the clipboard. "God! That is so typical of her! Why can't I, for just once, be a priority?!"

Aella knew words wouldn't help and just pulled Caroline into her arms, Caroline quick to wrap hers around Aella as she hid her water filled eyes in her best friends shoulder. "And hey," Aella shrugged as she rubbed Caroline's back in comfort. "She still donated $20 without having her car washed, bonus."

Caroline chuckled into her shoulder and pulled away, eyes still a little teary, but she now had a small smile on her face, "There's that at least."

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," Caroline nodded and then gestured to her clipboard, "I'm just going to fill in these forms in some peace."

Aella's eyes went wide, "You're not going to put me in charge are you?"

"You wish," Caroline snorted and then saw her tall cheerleader teammate walking past, "Hey, Tiki do you mind keeping an eye on things for a little while?"

Tiki saluted her captain in answer and continued on her way by them, a smirk firmly on her face unseen to the two friends.

Aella looked at her best friend in shock, "You don't put your faith in me, your number 1 person, but you trust the cheerleader bimbo?"

Caroline bent her knees slightly so she could look into her best friends eyes, head on, "Aella, I love you, but I trust a lot of other people when it comes to events like this, knowing you you'll just put on horrible music related to cars and tell cheesy and dirty jokes about cars!"

Aella smiled tightly, looks like her dirty joke earlier hadn't reached the ears of Caroline, "You got it, dude."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she started walking away, "And I'm way too annoyed with my mom even to mention that Full House reference."

"Phew!" Aella fanned herself, "Crisis averted." She pointed her finger at the sky and sang out loud, "I've got the Power! Whoo!"

..............................................

..............................................

"Sweeper duty."

Bonnie looked up from her nails to Tiki who held out the large floor broom towards her, "What?"

"We have to clean the pavement," her teammate practically sang smirk wholeheartedly on her face.

"It's a car wash," Slowly said, was the girl that dumb. "By definition, the pavement's clean."

"But not dry," Tiki shrugged without a care in the world.

"And I'm doing this why?"

"Caroline put me in charge while her and your tiny cousin gossiped," She passed Bonnie the broom and sauntered off.

"Fabulous," Bonnie groaned. "Thanks a lot, cuz!"

Bonnie looked to the water flowing on the ground, why the hell couldn't it just dry up itself? Almost in a daze, she couldn't take her eyes off the water and the towel in it, she didn't notice the water start to boil and steam, or when the cloth and water caught on fire, she only felt the power, beautiful power. She didn't really notice the fire following the stream of water to the last car that was cleaned, but Aella did, and so did Jeremy.

Aella ran over to Bonnie and saw the trance her cousin way in, stepping in front of her so no one could see her close her eyes and grab onto her cousin's hands stopping the fire just before it entombed the car. When she felt her cousin's power leave her body and the sounds of the fire disappearing, on then did she open her eyes and shook her cousin, "Bonnie! Bonnie!" She saw Stefan jog over with a concerned look on her face and Aella could only shrug helplessly as she shook her cousin once more, "Bon Bon!"

Bonnie's eyes suddenly focused on her cousins, "Aella, What just happened?"

Aella could only stare for a moment, "What happened? You were in some kind of a trance, what the hell happened?"

Bonnie looked past her cousin's shoulder and saw the burnt car, tears started to fill up in her eyes, "Did I do this?"

Aella didn't answer her and pulled her cousin away from seeing eyes, taking hold of Stefan's hand and pulling him along until they reached her car. Bonnie got in the front with Aella while Stefan stood at Aella's open door to make sure no one was listening in on them.

"Oh my god. Oh my god, what the hell happened?!" Bonnie exclaimed to herself as she wiped the tears that had now started flowing.

"It's okay B," Aella stroked her back. "It's stopped."

Bonnie quickly turned to Aella, "Yeah, because you stopped it! What if you weren't there, what if I hurt someone?!"

"But you didn't," Stefan soothed her. "That's the main focus, no one was hurt."

"What do I do?" Bonnie desperately asked her cousin.

Aella took hold of her cousins hands and placed them on her lap, she looked Bonnie eye to eye, "You go to Grams. Now. Our magic is different, she can help you."

"Okay," Bonnie nodded. "Can I take your car? I came with Elena."

Aella handed her keys over without thought and pulled her into a hug, "Love you."

Bonnie held onto her tight, "I love you too. Thank you."

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Vicky walked towards the Boarding House, she had never been anywhere close to this building before, but she knew exactly where she was going as she bypassed the front door and headed to the conservatory in the back.

"Vicky, help me."

Trying the doors at the rear of the house she was able to find an open one and entered the large house, walking down the darkened halls she followed the corridor until she reached a door and hesitated.

"Vicky. Help me."

Opening the door, she traveled down the stairs and made her way past the stored furniture, "Hello?" She walked to the end of the room and turned into an old section of the house until she saw a door with bars in front of her, she had no clue why she asked out loud, "Is anyone here?"

"Vicky."

Stepping towards the door Vicky looked through the bars and saw a strange but familiar man sat on the floor, it was then she realized this was a cell, "Oh, my god! What is this? How did I know that you were here? Why do I feel like I know you."

Damon stretched from his place as he slowly rose to his feet, "Because I wanted you to. Very, very badly." He stumbled to the bars, "Let me out of here. Please."

Vicky stepped back when she saw his face, her hand going to her neck that still was tender, "You bit me."

"You liked it. Remember?" Damon smirked.

"Why do I know you, but I don't know you?"

Damon looked deep into her eyes, "You remember what I want you to remember. And once again you won't remember what you're about to do."

In a small voice, Vicky shakily asked, "What am I about to do?"

"You're gonna open the door," Vicky looked down at the bolt on the door as Damon repeated, "You're gonna open the door."

Her hands shakily started to pull the bolt back when a desperate voice shouted, "No! No!" He grabbed the bolt handle from her hand but it was too late, the door was open and Damon, even in his weakened form was able to overpower Zach as he pushed at the door. "Get out of here. Run! Run!" Zach shouted at her, and she ran.

Running back to the stairs she didn't miss the sound of a neck being broken, and as she ran up the stairs she felt a tug on her leg, looking back she saw the psycho had hold of it, but he looked weak. She hit him with her combat boot and ran through the house desperate to find a door out of the freak show house. She could feel him stumbling but gaining on her as she finally saw a large door and pulled it open only to hear the psycho scream in agony as she ran outside, not looking back once.

..............................................

..............................................

"Who's idea was it to walk back?" Stefan chuckled as they reached his house.

"Ummm, mine?" Aella chuckled.

"So how come I'm carrying you," Stefan smirked as he pushed her into the air, eliciting a joyful giggle from his girlfriend.

"No comment," she smiled against his shoulder, and he only squeezed her in response.

When they reached the front door and saw it open Stefan stopped in his place, and Aella slid off him, "Not how we left you," Aella muttered.

Stefan looked over his shoulder, "I smell blood."

"Well shit," Aella sighed and raised her right hand up, palm facing the door, as they both stepped forward. Stefan not even bothering to ask her to wait, he knew she had the power and no patience to be left behind.

"Okay, ew!" Aella winced as they both discovered the dead crow on the floor.

Stefan didn't have to tell her where he was going as he vamp sped down to the cellar, Aella running as humanly fast as she could know exactly where he was heading. But she didn't expect to find Stefan holding Zach's dead body, "Oh Stefan, I'm so sorry."

"This is only a glimpse at the destruction Damon can do when he's allowed to," Stefan told her, eyes on Zach's pale face.

"What are we going to do?"

Stefan had to smile a little at her choice of words, we, not you. Standing up he made his way past Aella and towards the number of shelves in the cellar, Aella following. He found a small box and tore off the lid and covering until he removed a brown stake from it, turning to Aella he confessed, "I'm going to kill him."


	29. ...put that down before stake yourself by accident.

**SEXY SUDS CAR WASH**

Caroline was picking up the last of the cloths when she saw a lone bucket on the floor, she had just packed all the buckets away, on the other side of the school. With a shout of frustration, she kicked the bucket away from her.

"Whoa!" Caroline spun at the voice and turned to meet Matt's amused face, "What did that bucket ever do to you?"

Caroline panicked for an answer, her face blushing at Matt seeing her tantrum, so she decided to go for the truth, "I was imagining my Mom's face on it."

Matt snorted, "Kicking the Sheriff in the face, pretty ballsy. What she do to make you that mad?"

She wouldn't have usually ranted to Matt or anyone else she found slightly attractive but seeing as Aella, Bonnie and Elena had gone; she had no one else to vent to. "She just always promises and always lets me down, and I continually know it's going to happen, but I still believe that for once she's going to turn up, God I'm so stupid!"

"You're not stupid," Matt shrugged, "I know that feeling."

Caroline wanted to slap herself, Matt did now, his mom had run away with some random stranger, and his sister was the local town druggie, he had a lifetime of broken promises, she began to apologize but Matt held up his hand, "I'm not trying to get sympathy, I just know how you're feeling." He looked around at the empty car lot before looking back to Caroline, "You wanna go watch a movie at yours?"

Caroline's hopes were lifted, and she rocked on her feet as she bashfully asked, "Are you sure?"

Matt chuckled, he'd not seen this side of Caroline before, "Yeah, us forgotten children need to stick together,"

Caroline could only smile at him.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

"What?!" Aella exclaimed as Stefan brandished his stake and batted it down. "-and put that down before stake yourself by accident."

Stefan placed the stake back in the box, turning back to Aella, "He's gone too far. He overstepped the line last time he was here, and I cleaned his mess up, not anymore."

"Last time?" Aella asked in confusion, "I thought you guys haven't returned in the last 100 years?"

Stefan sighed to himself at his mistake, he swore he would never tell anyone what he covered up 15 years ago. Looking over Aella's shoulder at where Zach was laid dead before he picked up some shovels next to him and looked back to Aella handing them to her. "We need to bury him, you head up, and I'll grab Zach, I'll tell you everything that happened."

His girlfriend nodded, and they were both about to leave when she gently took hold of his elbow, "Hey, you know you can trust me with anything. I won't tell anyone."

Stefan nodded at her and pecked the top of her head, holding them and her close to him for a few moments before he pulled away, "I know."

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

Vicki laid against the cooler, on the cold ground of the forest. When she had run as far as she could she immediately called her friends, she needed more drugs, and she needed them now. Apparently, Sheriff Forbes had kicked them out of the cemetery, so they had made their way to their other hangout in the forest.

As she watched the fire burn, the drugs kicking any fear she had out of her system, she looked up to the stars.

"Donovan?" Jared offered her the half empty bottle of whiskey.

'Where is the light in your deep dark room?'

She was about to decline the offer, but thought back to the earlier events and instead took the bottle from him with a 'thanks' and gulped down the Whiskey.

'A shock of light could save you from the shadow.

Why is-'

The car had turned off, and so the music had stopped, Tony and Summer were quick to shout 'not it' while Tony drunkenly mumbled his 'not it.'

"Ah, Vicki," Summer giggled when she dragged her lips away from Tony's neck.

With a groan, Vicki got up from the floor and made her way to Tony's car, turning the car and music back on when she heard someone coughing and groaning. Se thought it was one of Jared's friends needing a fix, the dark making hard to see anything but his silhouette, "Hey, man, you okay?"

Vicky got closer when he didn't answer and when he started to fall forward, and Vicky quickly grabbed him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I got you, I got you. It's okay. It's o-" He looked into her eyes, and that's when she knew who this was, but before she could pull away and run far away from this psycho he bit into her neck and muffled her frightened screams from anyone around.

She desperately tried to pull away, and soon the blood loss was too much, and she fell into his arms as he continued to feed on her, her last thought as she became unconscious; Vampire.

**FORBES HOUSEHOLD**

Liz knocked on Caroline's door as she watched a movie by herself, "I didn't see you at the car wash."

Caroline scoffed to herself, "As if you were there long enough to notice."

"Caroline, I'm sorry," Liz tried to reason, "I had to w-"

"-work, I know Mom, don't worry about it," Caroline interrupted as she turned on her side, away from Liz.

Liz could sense Caroline wasn't truly all right, "Honey, are you okay? Anything you want to talk about? Is it a boy thing?"

Caroline had enough and decided to just force her Mom away with her words, "Mom, if I want to talk boys, I'll call dad. At least he's successfully dating one."

She didn't see the hurt of Liz's face as she closed her door, or the sadness on Matt's face as he stood up from his hiding spot from the other side of her bed when they heard Liz's steps.

Instead of telling her of his disappointment at her words, he decided to concentrate on her, "You gonna be okay?

When Caroline nodded, he turned to leave out of the window, but she was quick to stop him, "Please....don't leave me alone."

Matt hesitated, looking at her door, where on the other side the Sheriff was, Caroline sensing this quickly got up and locked her door and watched as Matt awkwardly climbed back onto the bed.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Wiping her sweaty head Aella leaned against the shovel for a moment, taking in Stefan's story her heart full of sadness, "He killed a pregnant woman, just for payback?"

Stefan nodded as he shoveled the last of the dirt out of the hole, "I thought the baby could still be alive so I rushed her to the hospital and compelled them to do a C-Section, and she was alive, Sarah was alive."

"What a beautiful name," Aella smiled. "You saved her."

"No," Stefan negatively declared, jumping out the hole and looking down at Zach's wrapped body. "Saving her would have been being able to save her Mom and not have to compel Zach that the two never existed, saving her would be me being able to speak to her every time checked on her instead of watching her grow up from so far away."

"At least he's with Gail now," Aella offered him. "Watching over their beautiful daughter that you saved. I'm sure he's very thankful to you."

"I know it goes without saying, but I would appreciate it-"

"-You don't even have to ask Stefan," Aella nodded her head. "Even if you didn't know my biggest secret, you never have to say."

Stefan nodded as a tear dripped down his face as he looked over at her, "If I had never come, Damon wouldn't have followed me, and all this would not have happened."

"Hey!" Aella demanded, very pissed off all of a sudden as she marched around the grave and stepped up to Stefan. "That means you regret meeting me, or Caroline, or Bonnie, or even my crazy adopted Aunt? Because we brought you into our lives, shared with your secrets. If that's not worth anything then maybe we need to have a discussion."

"I don't know what to do Aella," Stefan groaned and took hold of her face, "I regret nothing with you, or the amazing people you have allowed me to meet and become friends with. But Damon is killing people because I brought him here."

"No," Aella scowled and took hold of the hands on her face, holding them tight. "Damon chose to do this, Damon made that decision 15 years ago, and he made that decision when he returned here. He may be your brother, but he's also 170 years old. If they say at 18 your classified as an adult so, therefore, can make wise decisions, well then so can your 170-year-old brother."

"I'm sorry," Stefan started, and Aella only pulled her to him and kissed her lips.

"I understand," Aella nodded after she pecked his lips with a kiss once more before pulling away. "With your history, I can see how you feel responsible for him, but Stefan, you're not."

"So what do I do?"

"Well you're already on a bad start," Aella shrugged as they pulled away. "You should be saying what are we going to do?"

Stefan smiled for the first time that night, "What are we going to do?"

But she didn't need to answer that question as Stefan's phone vibrated, looking at the caller ID Stefan showed Aella, "Who knew the Devil had a phone number." Aella snorted as Stefan answered the phone, "Hello?"

"I want my ring."

"What? No please?" Aella snorted to herself, but both Stefan and Damon heard her.

"Oh, it's Pixie, is she ready to literally eat those Twilight books before I tear out her heart?" Damon threatened, and Aella just pushed herself forward and growled into Stefan's phone, "How are you not murdered every hour?!"

Stefan pushed her away and asked Damon where he was, but his sarcastic brother just replied with, " I'm at the sizzler. I had the buffet. Where's my ring?"

"I don't have it. Where are you? What have you done?"

Damon: No, what have you done? You're the one that locked me in the basement and starved me, got Sabrina the Teenage Witch to torture me, so whatever I've done, whoever I've sucked dry is on you, buddy. You and your tiny girlfriend."

"I'm not tiny," Aella pouted, "I'm petite."

"You're being careless," Stefan ignored Aella's comment. "How many more animal attacks is this town gonna believe, huh?"

"I know how to cover my tracks, Stefan. Where's my ring?"

Stefan looked down at Zach body on the ground, he would soon be buried with the mother of his child, "I gave it to Zach to hide. Probably shouldn't have killed him."

Stefan felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to Aella as she tried to mouth her sentence to him so Damon wouldn't hear, 'who' she mouthed as she mimed looking for someone, she then bared her teeth, ala vampire, and bit her arm and making a sucking noise. Stefan realized what she was saying and thought back to Damon's earlier sentence, "Who have you killed?"

"Nice trying to distract me... you almost got me. Where is it?"

"I'll get it back, but I need time."

"What, did you FedEx it to Rome?! Where is it? I want my ring, Stefan, or my next stop's Aella's house. I wonder if Elena's home, or her perky Aunt, I'm sure no one will think it strange if Jeremy suddenly dies of what looks like an overdose."

Aella hated him, she looked away from Stefan, taking a few long deep breaths to steady her anger.

"I already want you dead," Stefan told him, he needed to get Damon's attention away from Aella. "Don't give me another reason to make it happen."

"Don't give me another reason to rip you apart."

"Yeah? Is that gonna be before or after you get your ring back?"

"Just get it."

Damon hung up, and Aella turned back to Stefan, "Where's that stake, I've decided my earlier argument is now null a void."

"Too late," Stefan grimly smiled at her. "Now we have to clean up Damon's mess before the Council finds him and he reveals us."

Aella sadly watched Stefan roll Zach into the grave before picking up the two shovels and handing one back to Aella, as they threw the dirt onto Zach's covered body, "I hope Damon's allergic to nuts..." Aella grumbled, "because I'm gonna kick his up his throat next time I see him."

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

Damon hung up the phone and went over to the Whiskey bottle off the floor, he glanced over at his final body and made his way over. Pouring the Whiskey over her body, he took the lighter out of his pocket when he heard a groan, kneeling down he smirked as Vicki started mumbling, "You just don't wanna die, do you?

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

Jenna poured a very large glass of wine for herself, she did not imagine her evening ending like this as she walked to turn the TV on deciding what movie she wanted to cry to tonight.

She groaned when there was a knock at the door and placed her wine down before going to and opening the door, she immediately began to close it when she saw Logan's face between the crack and glared when he stopped the door closing with his foot, "Jenna please, hear me out. I'm sorry."

Jenna fully opened the door and sarcastically asked him, "Hear what out Logan? How you humiliated me today? Or how you perved on teenage girls; two of them that are my nieces? Is that what you're sorry for? Or is it because you are scum?!"

"Yes, yes and all of the above," Logan admitted. "I'm an idiot that was showing off to his work colleagues, and now I feel like a loser."

"And you're scum," Jenna told him, and he nodded quickly repeating the words back. "And I am a scum, just please forgive me?"

Jenna thought it over, which Logan saw, and added, "You can call me all the names you want all night, just let's start things over? Please?"

"Fine," Jenna muttered as she opened the door to let him. But just and he was about to step in Jenna shut the door slightly again, "But first! You apologize to Aella and Elena as soon as you see them."

"Done," he nodded.

"And you donate a lot, A LOT, of money to that CarWash tomorrow!"

"Yes."

"And buy me some really fancy chocolates," Jenna smugly added, seeing as he was agreeing to everything else.

"I promise," Logan smiled at her. "Now can I please come in and make it up to you."

Jenna opened the door fully, and Logan walked in cheerfully when he saw the large glass of wine he pointed to, now why don't you pour me a glass of wine while I just pop to the bathroom?"

Jenna shook her head as she motioned upstairs to the bathroom, moving into the kitchen muttering, "Typical Logan, he begs my forgiveness and then I'm pouring him wine."

Logan walked up the stairs with one destination on his mind; Jeremy's bedroom.

Jeremy entered the house a few minutes after Logan had gone upstairs, as soon as he saw the full glass of wine on the side he knew Jenna was probably drinking and crying her tears away following her argument with Logan. Taking the stairs two at a time he saw his door closed, he was sure he left that open this morning.

Walking into his room he was shocked to see Logan looking through his dresser, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Logan turned in fright at the sound and held his hands up, he was caught, "Jeremy, it's not what it looks like."

Jeremy laughed and sarcastically replied, "Oh so your not in my bedroom going through my personal belongings." Looking over at the stairs he immediately shouted, "Aunt Jenna, what the hell is your boyfriend doing looking through my bedroom?!"

"What?!"

At Jenna's exclamation, Logan winced and slowly made his way around Jeremy's bed and past him just in time to see Jenna run up the stairs, "In his bedroom? Why were you in my 16-year-old nephew's bedroom?"

"It's not what you think Je-"

Jenna cut Logan off, "-oh you better not be thinking what I'm thinking." She pointed down the stairs to the door, "Get out."

"Jenna, please?" Logan begged.

"Get out Logan, before I call the police!" Jenna ignored him.

Logan got the message and left the Gilbert household, pulling away as Aella and Stefan walked up the path.

"I'll just get a sweater, and then we can borrow Jenna's car to go get Damon's ring," Aella advised him, and he nodded. He had been silent the long walk back from his home. As they were about to walk in Aella stopped Stefan opening the door, "Just so you know Stefan." He turned to look at her in question, "The boarding house may be yours in name, but you'll always have a home here."

Stefan smiled and pulled her into him, lifting her with ease onto her toes before leaning down and kissing her fully on the lips.

Aella wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to take her weight as her feet left the ground, as she melted into the kiss. Her brain was still focused on their task at hand, but that didn't stop her from leaning up into the embrace and pushing her tongue into his mouth, tasting him some more. She moaned against his lips as his fingers traced small circles on her lower back and she drove a hand up into his thick hair, urging him on.

"-Logan I told you to... Oh."

Aella and Stefan pulled apart as Jenna stood awkwardly at the door, before Jenna could question them Aella frowned at what her Aunt had just said, "Logan? What the hell was he doing here?"

Jenna just groaned and walked into the living room, assuming the two were following her, she fell dramatically onto the couch; 27 Dresses paused on the screen, "He came, I forgave him, he was caught snooping in Jeremy's room, and then I kicked him out!"

"What?" Stefan and Aella exclaimed.

"You heard me," Jenna moaned. "Now leave me with my only remaining love, Katherine Heigl."

"Okay," Aella whistled and took the nearly empty glass from Jenna, ignoring her complaints, and handed it to Stefan. "Can you please get Drunky McDrunkerson, so water please, while I get a sweater and find out what the hell happened."

"No problem," Stefan nodded as Aella ran upstairs.

"Jeremy, what the hell happened?" She asked as soon as she saw the boy.

Jeremy could only scoff from his bed, "He was rooting around my room for something. Aunt Jenna kicked him out."

Aella knew what Logan was looking for, "Do you know what he was looking for?"

"No," the teen shook his head. "And Jenna didn't ask, she just kicked him out... it was awesome."

Aella chuckled at the thought, "I bet it was. You should give her props before she cries herself to sleep tonight."

Jeremy nodded and went back to playing on his phone as Aella ran into her bedroom closing the door and locking it, she went to her hiding place under the floorboards and opened the loose board, she pulled out the large gold watch; this was what Logan had been looking for, and now he didn't have it. Looking to her closet she crawled over to the space and moved the shoe boxes away from where she had loosened a small piece of floorboard, it was here her most precious possessions were stored - no one knew about this space, even Caroline. Hiding the watch in a scarf, she placed the floorboard back and picked the first sweater she saw from her wardrobe.

She met Stefan at the door, his eyes wide at the conversation she and Jeremy had, she picked Jenna's keys off the table, "I'm taking your car to drive Stefan home," Aella shouted, and Jenna only sounded at an 'okay' sound from the couch.

When they got in the car only then did Stefan ask, "Do the council have the watch?"

Aella shook her head, "I had a feeling they were going to do something after I saw Logan and Sheriff Forbes talking yesterday, so I took it from his dresser yesterday."

Stefan looked out to the darkened sky and summarized, "So the council just made their first move."

"And lost," Aella added before she started the car. 


	30. She's concussed!

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

After Stefan and Aella had retrieved Damon's ring from the ruins of the old Salvatore Estate, Aella had made it her mission to find a spell for Damon to stop him from hurting any more people until they could once again start the process of desiccation.

Aella had seen an imprisoning spell in her Grams grimoire once when she was younger and had written it down because it sounded cool, she just had to find it. Eventually, she saw the spell and read out the description to Stefan, "A powerful enchantment that can be placed on a building. The spell imprisons anyone inside of the building, by locking all of the exits permanently, therefore, once someone enters the cursed building, they can no longer leave."

"That's the one we need," Stefan nodded from his corner nook. "Is it hard or dangerous for you?"

"Wellllll....." Aella dragged out, and Stefan leaned forward, seriousness on his face, "Aella, is it hard or dangerous for you?"

Aella nodded, "It's in the section I put Grams' spells that 'I must not do without her or another coven member until I'm of age.'"

"Well we're not doing it," Stefan declared, and went back to looking through the very many old books regarding witchcraft Aella had built over the years.

"Hey!" Aella exclaimed and waved her hand, so the book flew out from Stefan's hands into her own and closed it with a loud 'snap'. "I can do this."

"No we're not," Stefan leaned back in his chair, his mind made up. "I'm not hurting you just to stop my brother."

"Grams told me that when I was 13!" Aella frowned, wanting to shout at her boyfriend but couldn't due to the time. "I can do this if you're there to support me, I know I can do this."

Stefan thought he words over, and Aella realized she may just be able to convince him, and walked closer to him, "If we lock Damon up in your house he'll eventually run out of blood, and desiccate. This is the only choice, Stefan."

Stefan closed his eyes and sighed in frustration, this was the only way they had found so far, "You only do it if I'm with you," Stefan finally agreed, and it took everything within Aella not to scream and jump with happiness, as she nodded to his demand. "And if you feel at all lightheaded or overpowered, anything; you stop."

Aella nodded again, a smile growing, "I promise."

Stefan nodded and held out his hand for his grimoire, "Let's go over this together."

Aella grinned at him then picked up her grimoire and placed herself in Stefan's lap, the two making themselves comfortable before Aella looked back up to Stefan," I did make some changes to it."

Stefan raised his brow, "Changes? What kind of changes?"

Aella smirked and showed him the spell she had written down, "Originally it was just an Imprisoning Spell, but at 13 and having just lost my parents I was a little dramatic and decided that if someone needed an Imprisoning Spell, he or she must have done something bad. Sooooooo, I made it that when they try to leave the house they, not only get bounced back, they also have pain in their entire bodies until they are away from the boundary line."

Stefan had to admit it, his girlfriend was quite frightening. He looked at the spell then looked back to her, "What did your grandmother say?"

"Oh she thought it was awesome," Aella cackled as she stroked the spell. "But that was also the time she told me to never use it without her. Grams said I'm a natural spell writer; apparently, my mom's side of the family was known for that."

She and Stefan went over the spell for the rest of the night before Stefan pulled her to the bed and forced her to sleep for a few hours until first light.

As soon as dawn approached Damon was calling Stefan's phone, but as it was on silence, Stefan and Aella didn't listen to the call until they were woken by Jeremy and Elena screaming at each other that morning before the two of them and Jenna left for the day.

"Where are you, Stefan? I'm trapped at the house, and I'm getting really bored and really impatient, and I don't do bored and impatient."

"My god," Aella groaned into Stefan's neck, as Stefan played the message to the two of them. "Apparently even a belly full of blood and he's an impatient asshole."

"Bring me my ring."

Stefan chuckled, and she deleted the message and placed his arm back round Aella, she was laid with her head back on his chest as she played with his ring, "Are we doing the spell this morning or later?"

Aella scrunched her face up as she thought the question over, "Well seeing as it's daytime, Damon won't be going anywhere soon, so we could go to school and try to have a normal day before heading over to your house and trying the spell?"

Stefan nodded, "I can get some clothes and things before you do the spell and then after the spell is complete I can throw Damon's ring back in the house."

"So mission: try to be normal during school hours, is a go," Aella giggled as she jumped to her feet on the bed before jumping off and calling over her shoulder, "The last one to the shower is a loser!"

Stefan didn't even bother running after her and slowly walked to the bathroom, laughing as Aella chanted 'Loser' 'Loser' 'Loser' while she turned the shower on. He definitely didn't feel like a loser as he stepped into the shower with his naked girlfriend; he felt anything but. 

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

** **

Caroline walked down the corridor smiling at people as they congratulated her on a successful CarWash yesterday, the amount hadn't been revealed, but Caroline knew it was a lot.

She just reached her locker when she saw Matt walking past her to go to his locker, grabbing the straps of his backpack he awkwardly stopped for a second before blurting out, "Hey," and walking off.

"Hey," Caroline smiled brightly until she realized he'd walked off.

What the hell?!

Caroline thought over the moment before she turned back to her locker and began putting her things in and taking the books she needed out.

What did 'Hey' mean after the night before?

That question was on Caroline's mind until after last period when she and Aella walked out together, "What does 'Hey' mean?"

Aella took her head out of her locker and stared at Caroline weirdly, but Caroline didn't notice, she was too busy leaning against the next locker looking at her nails.

"'Hey' as in an exclamation, or 'Hey' as a phrase, or 'Hay' as in Old MacDonald?" Aella asked her as she went back to putting her books away.

"As in, 'we just spent the night together cuddling in my bed only to find the next morning you gone. And the first thing and only thing you say to me the next day is an awkward 'Hey,'" Caroline simplified in the only way Caroline could, jumping as Aella slammed her locker shut and spinning the blonde around to face her.

"Okay, one," Aella held her finger up to her blonde best friend in mock anger, "I shouldn't have to hear this until the END of the day. Two," she held up a second finger, "Who was in your bed last night? And Three," Aella held up a third finger, "WHY THE HELL DON'T I KNOW WHO WAS IN YOUR BED LAST NIGHT!"

The students in the corridor turned to Caroline and Aella with curiosity as Caroline pushed Aella's three fingers away and placed her hand over Aella's mouth until they realized it was Aella Bennett and got on with their day, "Shhhhh, do you want everyone to know Gossip Girl?"

"Immm shtill swougld hgsve gnogn!" Aella muttered against Caroline's hand.

"What?!" Caroline asked as she wiped Aella's spit off her hand.

"I. still. Should. Have. Known!" Aella slowly repeated back. "Best friend contract is a two-way thing you?"

"Two way? Hell yeah!" Tyler shouted as he walked past the girls hearing only the last part.

Aella grimaced at the smirking boy, as he walked back down the corridor, "Oh go outside and play speedbump with the school buses, Tyler you fucktard!"

Tyler grabbed his heart in mock sadness before calling back as he ran down the corridor, "Only if you protect me, Bennett."

"Asshole," Aella muttered then quickly looked to Caroline, "It wasn't Lockwood was it?"

"Ewwww!" Caroline squished her face as they started walking back down the corridor. "No way."

They made it outside just as Matt and some football players walked up to them, "Hey," he nodded to the two of them as he walked past.

"Nooooooo," Aella gasped to herself as Caroline went red about to say 'Hey' back when instead she did the most Caroline Forbes thing to do, overthink something, blurt out the wrong thing, and then look a fool.

"Hey," She stepped up to Matt frowning. "What is that?"

Matt friends walked off as Aella slowly started shuffling back, she wanted to watch, she just didn't want to be the awkward middleman standing between two people talking.

"What is what?" Matt asked

"The 'hey!' That's twice. That is two 'heys,'" Caroline thought of everything she had been thinking about regarding this issue and decided enough was enough. "That--do you have any other words in your vocabulary?"

Matt was so confused, and Aella felt so sorry for him, "What's wrong with 'hey'?"

"What's going on?"

Aella almost jumped in happiness at her boyfriend's voice, "Oh thank god!" She rejoiced, "Now I don't feel like Billy in the Middle while they argue."

Stefan raised his brow at her, "And why are they arguing?"

"Well, apparently Mat-"

"-It reeks of awkward subtext. You spent the night in my bed! There was cuddling!" Caroline raised her voice, and Aella just held her hand out to Stefan as a sign of 'that happened.' "And then, you snuck out before dawn so you wouldn't have to face me, which I must say is a total Lame-Guy move that I did not appreciate. And now with the 'hey"s?'"

"I've never heard so many 'Hey's' in a conversation before," Aella winced leaning against Stefan as they watched the fight without any guilt, you only got this kind of stuff on Days of Our Lives or General Hospital.

Aella almost wished she had snacks.

"Seriously?" Caroline continued, "I mean, I may have been some pathetic, insecure mess after the CarWash, but do not mistake that for me being a pushover, because I do not let guys mess with my head anymore."

"Ohhhh," Both Aella and Stefan cringed.

"I heard your mom in the morning, and I didn't want to get you in trouble." Matt defended himself, "So, I went out the window."

"Fair point," Aella nodded up the Stefan, impressed with Matt.

"You went out the window?!" Caroline exclaimed, she obviously wasn't impressed. "Another Lame-Guy move."

"Ouch," Aella winced. Too far Caroline... too far.

Matt was angry and disappointed, "Your mom's the sheriff! And as for the 'hey's,' I'm pretty sure it's what I've said to you every day since the first grade. Trying to read something into it? Lame-Girl move."

Caroline stood there, watching him walk off, she had really messed up now.

'Good job Caroline!' Caroline thought, watching him storm off. 'Just when you thought you'd found a good guy you had to mess it up.'

"You okay?" Aella asked her, standing slightly behind her, her eyes on Matt.

"Yeah," Caroline smiled tight looking at her best friend. "Just feeling like a bit of an idiot."

"Ahhhh C," Aella frowned throwing her arm around Caroline's shoulders. "You're not an idiot..." Caroline looked at her best friend with a smile, until the next words came out of the brunette's mouth, "...You're just a Lame-Girl."

Caroline went to hit Aella when she moved back laughing, "You should know," Caroline tried to frown but with Aella around you couldn't do that for too long as a smile threatened to break through. "I learned it from my best friend."

"Ouch," Aella put her hands up to her heart and fell back into Stefan, as he was watched the two with a wide grin. The two of them had an enviable relationship. Aella quickly got over the hurt and stood up with a smile, "I know what will cheer you up."

"Oh?" Caroline raised her perfectly plucked brow.

"Wanna see us trap Damon in his house and every time he tries and leaves he gets a painful shock?" Aella was jumping up with joy as each word came out of her mouth.

Stefan had never seen two more evil grins as Caroline jumped on the spot with Aella before she declared, "I'm driving!"

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Stefan was in and out of the house with his things loading them into Caroline's Car, as Aella set herself up, Caroline was holding Aella's grimoire just in case she forgot the words, but the words had already seared themselves into her brain after the 3 hours Stefan had her repeat them back to him the night before.

"You okay," Stefan asked as he stepped up to the two. "Damon's in the back talking to himself so we should be okay."

Aella nodded, flexing her fingers before she raised them up the North part of the house, she would have to do this spell three more times at each cardinal point, "_Aven sa fuis sa belise, relinquo de la mer dolor_..." Aella felt her power beginning to build as she repeated the spell, "_Aven sa fuis sa belise, relinquo de la mer dolor_..." With her fingers tingling she repeated the spell one last time, "_Aven sa fuis sa belise, relinquo de la mer dolor_..." only to feel the power leave her for a moment before returning to her so strong she was pushed back into Stefan's waiting arms.

"You okay?" Stefan immediately asked, and Aella jumped up nodding her head. "Just a knockback."

"Are you okay to carry on?" Caroline asked, worry covering her face; powerful or not, this was still her best friend, her person.

"Yeah," Aella nodded and pointed to the next part of the house, "East next."

She started walking to the East point when Stefan pulled her with him to the opposite side, amusement in his voice as he corrected her, "East is this way."

"I know that," Aella pouted as Caroline walked behind the two, a smile now on her face she watched them. "I was just testing you."

Eventually, the East and South sides were completed with the same bounce back. Aella was about to start saying the spell for the final time when she felt the power pull away from her like last time, only this time she could definitely feel the pull, unbeknownst to her as a trail of blood started to trickle down her nose, "_Aven sa fuis sa belise, relinquo de la mer dolor_."

Aella was pushed back with a slam hard into Stefan stumbling the vampire back as a bubble, that only Aella could see, formed around the house. If it wasn't for Stefan's vampire strength, and reflexes Aella would have ended up near the gates - a good 100 meters away. Stefan smelt the blood on Aella immediately, and when he lowered her, he could see how weak she was.

"Aella!" He shook her, her eyes were closed as Caroline panicked behind him. Stefan wiped her nose with his sleeve, his thoughts not even on the blood for the first time ever - his concentration purely on Aella. He shook her again, "Aella, wake up!"

Caroline was about to call 911 when Aella's eyes blinked open and focused on the house muttering, "It worked. It looks so pretty."

Stefan was confused yet relieved, "What?"

"The barrier" Aella pointed, her eyes now focusing on the rainbow shimmer that enveloped his house. "It's so pretty."

"Oh my god!" Caroline exclaimed. "She's concussed!"

"No, I'm not," Aella mumbled as she sat up, pulling away from Stefan so he could she was starting to feel better. "You really can't see the barrier?"

Stefan shook his head at Aella, maybe she was concussed. But her color was starting to return to normal, "No, what does it look like?"

Aella looked up at the barrier before looking back to Stefan and Caroline, "Like a thin bubble that's surrounded the Boarding House and it's shimmering like a holographic rainbow. You really can't see it?"

"No," Stefan shook his head, she was sounding like herself. "As long as you're okay I don't mind missing it."

With a peck on his lips, Aella nodded, "I'm good."

He pulled her up, and as soon as she was stood by herself Caroline plowed into her, "Don't do that again!"

"I'll try not C," Aella chuckled hugging her back. When she pulled back, she looked to the house then to Stefan, "Think we should test it?"

He nodded, "There's only one way to know."

He started walking towards the house, unbeknown to him he got a little too close to the barrier when he was quickly pulled back, "What?"

Aella ran over with Caroline, she had used her magic to pull him back, "The barrier is right there," she pointed, slightly out of breath, as she reached him.

"What?" Stefan asked confused, taking another step back just in case, "I thought it was just the house?" He was stood just before Front Porch Entrance.

Aella just shrugged, "According to the spell, the Front Porch Entrance is the house."

Stefan shrugged, he wasn't a newbie to spells he knew they had their own mind. Throwing Damon's ring onto the porch, he looked over at Caroline and Aella before shouting, "Damon?"

It didn't take long before Damon pulled open the door in a rage, "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Pleasant as always aren't ya Damon," Aella smiled sarcastically.

"Oh look," Damon's eyes widened with wicked thoughts. "It's the nymph whose heart I'm just desperate to rip out."

Aella only rolled her eyes as Caroline took hold of her hand, and Stefan pointed to the ring on the floor next to Damon's foot, "You have your ring."

"Too scared to get close Stefan?" Damon smirked as he bent down to pick up his ring and examine it to make sure it was his. As he stood up, he noticed Caroline, "Ah now I see, playing Knight in Shining Armour with Pixie and Blondie here."

"Just stay in the house by yourself, and hurt nobody else, and things will be fine," Stefan advised him.

Damon slipped his ring back on his finger, 'they think I'm alone' Damon thought, the music in the house drowning out Vicki's heartbeat. "Stay in the house?" Damon pouted, "Now I've got this baby back?"

"Stay in there, or else," Stefan ordered him. He knew they were the best words to make Damon mad, he could see the sneer start to spread on his brothers face.

"Or else what?" Damon sneered before speeding forward ready to take a bite out of his brother's witchy girlfriend. Stefan prepared himself just in case the barrier hadn't worked as Caroline tightened her grip on Aella's arm. But Aella wasn't worried, she could see and feel the barrier; there was no way Damon was getting through that.

It was almost like slow motion as Damon hit the invisible barrier sending him flying back into the bricked doorway as he screamed out in pain for a moment until the pain stopped and he slowly got up to his feet stumbling to where he was stood just a moment ago. "What the hell was that?"

"Or else," Stefan smirked, now a lot more relaxed.

"What?!" Damon exclaimed, glaring at Aella, this was her doing. "You gonna Martha Stewart me away until I desiccate?"

"That's the plan Damon" Stefan shrugged walking back to Aella now he knew she was safe, taking her hand. "Try not to get too bored."

Damon glared at his brother as he, Aella and Caroline walked away, "Oh we'll see about that," Damon muttered as he heard Vicki shout for him. Looks like Just-Won't-Stay-Dead-Vicki-Donovan just got a free life rather than be his next meal.

He needed to eat after all.


	31. We have a problem.

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

It was Saturday morning, and Damon had been locked away for 4 days, there was also a town alert that Vicki Donovan had gone missing; unfortunately, Aella and Stefan had no clue that the two problems were together partying like it was 1992.

Matt had shrugged off Vicki going missing as if it was a regular occurrence because unfortunately, it was. He had been brought up with his mom doing it and had eventually got used to his sister doing it too. He honestly believed she had finished with the drugs after she was attacked in the forest, but once again, he was proven wrong.

It was Tyler, who had finally noticed Vicki missing on Friday, 4 days after she had last been seen by Jeremy when he alerted the police and Sheriff Forbes quickly made the town aware. What no one knew, other than the Town Council, was that Vicki's purse and ID had been found at the site where 3 other teens had been killed and burned; only the Council had this information, and they were hoping Vicki was on a drugs bend rather than lying in a ditch with puncture marks on her neck.

Aella and Stefan were woken by her alarm at 9am, both of them groaning at being woken awoken by her alarm on a Saturday. But it was not a typical Saturday... It was Halloween.

Aella's eyes flew open as she realized the day, jumping to her feet and out of Stefan's arms, as he groaned again - this time at being jostled as she stood, "It's Halloween!!!!" Aella giggled.

"All Hallows' Eve," Stefan nodded a sleepy smirk on his face at his girlfriend's glee. "Where all the Spirits on Earth become ever stronger, blurring the line between life and death."

"Also known as the most awesomest holiday ever" Aella fist pumped the air before kneeling back on the bed next to Stefan. "The girls and I are picking ours, and yours costume today."

Stefan covered his face with the pillow, "Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Aella practically scolded him, pulling the pillow off his face. "I promise, it's an awesome costume."

"Fine," Stefan playfully grumbled as Aella got up to choose her outfit for the day.

"What are you up to today," She asked from inside her closet.

Stefan wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat up, "Matt and Tyler invited Jeremy to play pool at The Grill, Jeremy asked if I could come, I think he's hesitant."

Aella stuck her head out of the closet, surprise on her face, "Matt and Tyler invited J? Matt I can understand but Tyler."

Stefan only shrugged, "He's not been so bad since Vicki's not been around. He and Jeremy get along now, and he's not trying to break my fingers in football training anymore."

"Are you sure you're okay to go with J?" Aella asked, back in her closet.

"He's a cool kid," Stefan smiled, even brighter when Aella stuck her head out of her closet again, her tone way to serious, "I know."

Stefan picked up his diary, opening it to the last page he wrote in, he loved these ordinary moments he shared with Aella, "So what are the costumes you've chosen."

Aella came out, dressed to shop, as she tutted almost insulted, "No spoilers!" She kissed his lips goodbye and ran out to brush her teeth before she picked up Elena and Bonnie from Bonnie's (they had a sleepover), then picking up Caroline and going to get their costumes.

Stefan laughed as she stumbled out, yelling 'I'm okay' to him before he started writing in his diary. He words more joyful and uplifting than ever before.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Damon compelled Vicki to think she had never tasted blood before so they could party like they had done her first night, it was a fun night, and he had repeated this every day so far, only now he was starting to get bored.

He had tried the barrier two more times before he could no longer force himself to endure the pain, Pixie was smart, he had to give her that.

"I am so over Tyler, so over him. I knew from the beginning..."

Here she went again. The same old bull every day, did this chick think of nothing else other than her depressing life? Cutting to his favorite part, he asked her, "Do you think I'm hot?"

Vicki stopped her boring spiel about Tyler and Jeremy and looked over to him with a wide grin, "You're, like, totally cool and so hot."

"I know," Damon smirked, that was entirely his favorite part.

Vicki then did something different and ran past him heading upstairs, Damon frowned, they usually stayed downstairs dancing. He walked at a human pace following her, only to find her in Stefan's room jumping on Stefan's bed making a mess. Damon joined her and threw Stefan's records like frisbees as Vicki tossed his pillows around, not caring if she knocked something over. As he walked past Stefan's desk he knocked off the Glass Candle Holder, smirking as it smashing, he laughed as he broke the lamp into the wall until he saw the old picture on Stefan's desk.

Damon froze in his place as he saw her face, so alike Elena's but yet so not; Katherine, his Katherine.

"Don't you wanna be in love?" Vicki asked at that moment, the wrong moment, a new subject this time but Damon wasn't bothered. His eyes still on Katherine.

"I've been in love. It's painful and pointless and overrated."

"Except when it isn't," Vicki sadly spoke, moving closer to Damon.

Damon put the photograph down and turned to Vicki, pulling her into his arms, close, "No more talking. Let's dance."

"My mom spends most of her time in Virginia beach with Pete. He drives trucks," she spoke like he was her therapist. "I don't remember my dad, but from what I gather, he's not worth remembering."

Damon sighed, he was getting sick of this 'woe me' attitude, "Your life is so pathetic."

Vicki tearfully nodded, "Yeah. I mean, I'm the screwed-up one. Matt's got it so easy! He's the golden boy; I mean, he's gonna get a football scholarship, and marry Elena, and have a lawn mower, and some babies. And when I think of my future, I just come up blank." She snuggled closer to his neck.

"You are so damaged."

"Yep."

Damon wanted a reaction, and he wasn't getting one, he turned the heat up, "I mean, you don't have one hint of self-esteem."

"Nope, none."

As he pulled her closer he saw her neck and an idea came into his head, "I think I know what can help you."

After 4 days with Damon, Vicki trusted him too much, "So what's that?"

He said it with no emotion, as though he personified that very word he said out loud as he snapped her neck, "Death."

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Stefan, Matt, Tyler, and Jeremy had been playing pool for a few hours, and things had been going well, Stefan wasn't used to not only having a girlfriend but having a group of friends; even if one of them was Tyler.

He had bonded with Tyler and Matt at football practice since Tanner had been killed, and had gotten to know Jeremy when he was at Aella's house, but it was the CarWash that had really started to solidify their new friendship. As sad as it was to think about, Matt, Tyler, and Jeremy realized the same thing as they played pool; it was more comfortable without Vicki.

"So, what's up with you and Forbes?" Tyler asked as he lined up the ball, it was him against Matt after Stefan had just beaten Jeremy. The winner played Stefan.

Matt shrugged watching Tyler miss, "Nothing's up."

Jeremy snorted causing Matt to look up and jokingly ask, "What are you giggling like a girl about Gilbert?"

Jeremy shrugged as Stefan took a drink of his Coke, Jeremy was finally getting comfortable with everyone, "I just think 'nothing' isn't the right word is all, especially after what I heard Aella shout in the hallway yesterday."

Matt groaned out loud as he missed his shot looking up to Jeremy and Tyler, "And I can't even be annoyed with A, because that's who she is, loud and oversharing-" he looked to Stefan "-not offense Stefan."

Stefan only chuckled, "None taken, I personally think she would love that description."

Matt smiled and nodded; yes she would.

"But like Jer said," Tyler smirked over at Matt bringing the attention back to him, "A lot of people heard what Aella shouted, and a lot of others heard what happened in the parking lot. Don't even try to deny it, bro. You were tapping that."

"No, it's not like that," Matt desperately shook his head.

"Never is. Until you become 'we' people, right guys," Tyler scoffed looking to the others.

Stefan smirked but didn't answer, he actually liked being a 'we' with Aella, while Jeremy just frowned in confusion, "What?"

Matt too, "'We' people?"

"Yeah," Tyler potted a ball and moved onto his next shot. "'We' can't make it to the party, 'We'll' never miss a game, 'We' don't like the color red."

Stefan had to snort at that one, along with Jeremy, "Red?"

Tyler just grinned cheekily at the vampire before potting the next ball.

"We hung out, once."

All three boys snorted at that answer as Stefan's phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Like I said," Tyler potted the black ball and looked to Matt in victory. "'We.' and already whipped. So sad."

"Talking about whipped," Jeremy smirked as Stefan checked his phone. "Is that Aella texting you clues for your costume again?"

'Damon' his phone read but no one knew of his brother still in Mystic Falls, and so he faked embarrassment and nodded as he answered the phone, the boys making whipping noises as he found a quiet spot to talk.

"What Damon?"

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Damon looked down at Vicki as she started to wake in transition and smirked down at her as he answered his brother, "I think you and Pixie need to come back to the house and remove this spell."

"And why would we do that?"

Damon simply held the phone between him and Vicki as she woke, "What happened? We were dancing, and then..."

"Then I killed you."

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Stefan felt himself freeze as he heard Vicki's voice and then Damon's words, Damon came back to the phone and Stefan didn't even give him time to speak, "How the hell did she get there?"

Did Aella's spell fail?

"That's the thing when you're doing a spell to keep people locked in Stefan," Damon smirked as he watched Vicki stumble around. "You better check the number of people first. Now get your tiny girlfriend to remove the spell, or I call a pizza boy and turn her into a vampire!"

Stefan glared at the wall in front of him and snarled down the phone, "Aella's not here, I'll call her, and we'll come over now."

"Good boy Stefan." Damon chuckled and then hung up.

Stefan took a deep breath to calm himself until he heard a familiar laugh as Caroline and Aella entered through the door beside him. Aella smiled when she saw him, hands full of bags, "What is this, meet your girlfriend at the door day?"

Stefan didn't smile, and so Aella's and Caroline's smiles dropped, "We have a problem."

**AELLA'S CAR**

Aella was fuming, she knew Damon was crazy, but to kill Vicki - that was it. Stefan was driving, as Caroline and he had refused to let her drive this angry, Caroline had decided to stay behind to hopefully make up with Matt before he learned the shocking news of his sisters re-appearance, while Stefan drove himself and Aella to the Boarding House.

"Do you know if the spell is for the supernatural only or would it affect everyone?" Stefan asked her as he turned into his driveway.

"I'm not sure," Aella sighed, batting her hair away from her face as she reread the spell from the grimoire. Aella re-read the spell, even though she remembered the spell didn't specify at all, "No, it doesn't say. But if Vicki's been killed with Damon's blood in his system wouldn't she be considered supernatural?"

Stefan shook his head as he put the car in park and turned the engine off, "Technically she's in transition, so she wouldn't be considered supernatural."

They got out the car when Stefan's head turned towards the house, "Vicki just screamed."

"Crap," Aella winced as she Stefan ran towards the house stopping just before the barrier to see Vicki run out of the house, Damon just behind her answering Stefan and Aella's question when she ran straight through the barrier into Aella's arms while Damon bounced off the invisible wall again screaming in agony as he was flown backward.

Vicki held onto Aella, sobbing and spluttering so much Aella was unable to understand her, "Shhh Vicki, I got you."

"He killed me," Vicki, now making sense, sobbed. She pulled back from Aella and screamed into the house, more pissed off than upset, "That asshole called me damaged and broke my neck!"

"I see we've gone from upset to angry pretty quickly," Aella muttered as Vicki shouted some pretty creative profanities at Damon as the older Salvatore struggled to get up again. "Kübler-Ross would be delighted."

Stefan stepped forward and leaned down to Vicki, "Vicki have you drank any blood since you woke up?"

"No," Vicki whined from Aella's neck but quickly looked to Stefan, "Can you get me some, please it was so nice. Please, I'll do anything!"

'Bargaining,' Aella mouthed to Stefan who nodded slightly at her that he had noticed.

"Let's take you home Vicki," Aella suggested leading Vicki to her car. "Matt's been worried about you."

Vicki looked up at Aella, hope in her eyes as she slipped into the backseat, "Matty? My Matty?"

"Of course your Matty," Aella smiled and slid into the back, ignoring Stefan's frown that it was her going in the back with the transitioning vampire and not him. Stefan rolled his eyes, he should have been used to Aella doing things like this and entered the car turning on the engine. He just put the car into drive when Vicki thumped his chair, "Wait, wait, wait, Matty can't see me like this!"

"Don't worry," Aella assured her, eyes meeting Stefan's in the rear view mirror telling him 'not to stop." She looked back to Vicki as she took her phone out her pocket and opened up her recent chat with Jeremy, "I am texting Jeremy now to keep Matt from going home, and because I am me, he will not question it."

"Good," Vicki viciously nodded, wiping her tears, sniffing the built-up snot from her nose.

"But you know we have to have a chat when we get to your house, right Vick?" Aella made her aware before they got to the Donovan household. Stefan had made her aware of how long Vicki had before she died.

Vicki just nodded, and Aella sighed sitting back in her seat, at least she hadn't freaked out, she was now just staring out the window, watching the trees and houses go by.

Aella watched Vicki for a few moments and when she saw a tear fall down Vicki's face and wondered if Vicki was now going through the stage of depression. She had been joking with Stefan earlier about Vicki going through the five stages of grief, but now as she watched one of her best friends sister cry, yell, bargain and now sadly stare out of a window; she now wondered if that was true. Stefan had told her that alongside Vicki only having 24 hours, before choosing to be a vampire or die, her emotions would be all over the place. She just didn't think it would be like the emotional capacity of a SIM character.

**DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD**

As soon as they reached her house, Vicki dived out of the car and ran into the house, heading to the kitchen and eating anything she could get into her hands, and then into her mouth. Aella ran in after Stefan and bent over, when they reached the kitchen, breathing heavily, "I am all for having a snack Vick, but to run to get a snack is not my thing."

Stefan stepped forward, ignoring his girlfriend, and walked over to Vicki motioning to the dining table, "Maybe we could sit and talk Vicki?"

Vicki just nodded with a mouth full of food, box of pop tarts, and cookies in her arms when she sat down with Aella and Stefan, and once her mouth was empty she looked to Stefan, "You know I remember what you did to me-" she glanced to Aella "-you too, at the hospital." She looked back to Stefan, "On the rooftop with Damon." She looked down at the food, now on the table, "Will I turn as mean as Damon now I'm a vampire?"

Stefan looked to Aella, his eyes slightly wide, Damon had told Vicki nothing. Aella rubbed her eyes, she could feel the migraine forming, she was pretty sure she was going to kill Damon next time.

Stefan took a deep breath and then looked back to Vicki, "Vicki, I need to tell you something..."


	32. Must suck to be a Vampire, right Stefan?

**DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD **

"_Damon did what?!_" Caroline and Bonnie shouted over the phone.

"I know," Aella muttered, rubbing her eyes again. "Believe me, I really know. I had to leave while Stefan was telling Vicki the truth-" her eyes filled with tears and her throat tightened "-I don't know what to do."

It was silent on the phone and Aella thought the call has disconnected until her best friend spoke to her, "You go in there and just be there for her."

"But what can I do?" Aella cried she was sixteen years old, she should be getting ready for Halloween with her best friends and being a typical teenager, not help tell an 18-year old that she either had to become a vampire or die.

"_Aella_," Bonnie now had the phone. "_If anyone could help Vicki go through a life-changing decision, it's you. And if Matt knew about this and knew he couldn't be with her, he would want you to be there for her_." Aella cried down the phone, and her best friends just looked at each other over Caroline's phone, they would do anything to be with her right now.

"Okay," Aella nodded and took a deep breath wiping her tears. "Okay."

She finished the call with her best friend and cousin then turned back to the house when she saw Stefan watching her from the doorway, "How much did you hear?"

Stefan stepped forward to meet her halfway before pulling her into his arms, kissing her head as she held him tight, "Just the end, and they're right you know? Matt would want you to be there for her."

Aella held onto him and he onto her for a few minutes until she looked at him, "I just don't know what to say..." Stefan chuckled, and Aella hit his bicep as if she could hear him thinking 'that's a first.' "I mean, I joke, I laugh, I make a fool out of myself; but how am I supposed to help one of my best friends sister choose if she wants to become a vampire or die? How do I do that?"

Her tears returned, and she sobbed in Stefan's arms as he just held her, and for one split second - only one- wondered if he should have returned to Mystic Falls, but that thought quickly left his mind as Aella stopped crying and kissed the hand that had been wiping her tears.

"You don't do anything," Stefan answered for her. "Vicki has to make that decision. You just have to listen."

"Okay," she nodded and kissed his hand again. "Thank you."

Stefan just leaned down and kissed her wet lips, "You don't ever have to thank me."

..............................................

..............................................

Vicki sat staring out her childhood room window, for years she had wished to get out of the shitty town, and now she just wanted one more day, one more week; anything other than hours. 

Aella was brushing her hair, a week at Damon's without conditioner had densely knotted her hair, but Vicki wouldn't have even noticed due to how soft Aella had been. It was crazy how only one week ago she had hated Aella for having everything she didn't, but now she knew why Matty and Jeremy were always so protective over her; she was an excellent person to have around when you wanted nobody around. Aella hadn't acted any different around her, although Vicki would be blind to have missed the red surrounding the brunette's eyes, instead, she asked Vicki if she could brush her hair, it was something her mother had done whenever she was upset, and Vicki hadn't the heart to say no.

"Do you think it will hurt?" Vicki suddenly asked Aella, and if it wasn't for the slight hesitation on the next section Aella was brushing, Vicki wouldn't have known she asked the question out loud.

"I don't know," Aella lightly shrugged as she continued brushing. "The vampire thing I know is a no, but the choice not to turn... I honestly don't know."

"Stefan said it was just like falling asleep; quick and painless," Vicki told her, her gaze never leaving the window. "But they said that about my grandma, and then my mom drunkenly told me when I was 12 that she died in a lot of pain."

Aella snarled at Kelly Donovan being mentioned, she didn't like that woman at all, Aella snorted and once again her mouth spoke before her brain could process it, "Knowing your mom, she was probably the one causing everyone pain, and that was your grandma's only way of escaping it."

As soon as the last word escaped her mouth, Aella gasped in horror and took a step back holding her hands, one still holding the brush, to her mouth as if to stop any more crap falling out. Vicki was still, and then her shoulders started shaking as if she was crying, Aella felt as though the worst person on the planet, until a giggle escaped Vicki's lips and Aella realized that Vicki wasn't crying, she was laughing.

Vicki turned to her laughing as tears fell down her face and nodded, "You're right," Vicki agreed. "My grandma totally would have died just to get away from my mom."

'Crisis averted,' Aella thought as she slowly stepped forward and started brushing Vicki's hair again. And when Vicki questioned her a second time, Aella actually thought before answering.

"What date is it?"

Thankfully it was a date question and not a life-changing/possibly potential murder/not going to attack me, question.

"October 31st."

Vicki quickly spun around again, eyes wide, "The Halloween Party at the school, are you going?"

Aella shook her head and stepped back sitting on the end of Vicki's bed, "I was going to go, but then Damon called."

Vicki actually felt terrible for Aella Bennett, she was choosing to miss one of the best parties of the year, and from what Jeremy had mentioned, her favorite holiday of the year, to be with her.

It was right there and then that Vicki made a decision.

No longer was she going to act like a child and make stupid mistakes, she had to think of herself. She looked at a picture on her dressing table of her and Matt when they were younger; she had to think of Matty. She glanced at Aella; she had to think of her friends.

Standing up Vicki pulled a confused Aella with her into the kitchen where Stefan had been sat listening in until he stood up at their entrance, he too confused.

"You are going to the Halloween party," Vicki declared, and it was quiet for a few seconds before Aella and Stefan started arguing at her decision. "Stop," Vicki held her hand out and silenced the two. "I made the decision to get high and drunk in a park, I made the decision to drink Damon's blood and party with him all weekend. All the decisions I made, I'm now seeing the consequences and the only way I'm going to make any more decision is by myself and not ruining any more lives."

"You're not ruining our liv..."

"Vicki we're here for yo-"

Aella and Stefan once again started to try and change Vicki's mind again but this time she just placed her hand over their mouths, shutting them up, "-Do you want me to bite Aella now and just get this transformation over and done with, or do you want time actually to think this over as you wanted me to?"

Stefan, and a wide eyes Aella, quickly shook their heads at the suggestion of Vicki biting Aella, so a very smug Vicki let go of their mouths and commanded them some more, "So instead of sitting here, gloomy and bored, go out, and party, and have the time of your lives; if not for you, for me."

Stefan looked over to Aella, who looked back at him, and eventually she nodded, and he turned back to Vicki, "Fine," Vicki smiled at him, "but, you stay here, and when we get back we're staying with you until you decide, deal?"

Vicki quickly nodded, "Deal." She started pushing the two out of the house, suddenly feeling like a new person, "Have fun, don't do drugs, take lots of pictures."

She slammed the door, and Aella looked over at Stefan, feeling very confused, "Acceptance?"

Stefan thought about it for a moment then nodded, "Acceptance."

Aella whistled as they walked to her car, "Kübler-Ross would be delighted... all five stages of grief dealt with in under 2 hours." She thought about it for a moment as they both got in that car before turning to Stefan, "You know for vampires with a lot of time on your side you sure do like to speed through things."

Stefan smirked at her over the car, "Not all things."

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

Aella, Caroline, and Bonnie stood in the foyer discussing Vicki's attitude as she pushed Aella and Stefan out of her house. Elena was in the kitchen with Jenna and Jeremy, while Stefan was finishing getting ready.

"So she has hours to decide if she wants to turn into a vampire or just die?" Caroline asked, and Aella just nodded as she twirled a curled piece of hair, anything to not rub her eyes and disturb anything.   
  
"Harsh," Bonnie sighed sadly, which didn't really match the makeup on her face.   
  
"What's harsh?" Elena asked as she, Jenna and Jeremy walked towards them.  
  
It was at the very moment that Aella mentally kicked her cousin and best friend out of their secret group as both girls just stared at Elena wide-eyed, mouths opening and closing like a couple of fish. Trying not to sound annoyed at the two Aella mock-frowned at Elena, who too was frowning at their reactions.  
  
"What's harsh is...how long my boyfriend is taking to get ready!" Aella spoke to Elena before shouting the last part up at Stefan.  
  
"I refuse to be seen like this," Stefan shouted down, zero emotion in his voice that had Aella smirking freely.   
  
Jenna groaned out loud leaning on the railing, "Oh Aella, what did you do to him?"  
  
"What?" Aella asked with faux innocence, "He said this book character was very close to his heart."  
  
"What book is that?" Elena asked so innocently.  
  
"Oh. My. God!" Jeremy snorted as Stefan stopped at the top of the stairs.  
  
Aella had to hold in every emotion that was threatening to escape as she saw Stefan's face, Caroline and Bonnie bursting into laughter at the sight, "Dracula."  
  
Stefan glared at her.  
  
"Um, I'm confused why this is so funny?" Jenna questioned as Aella smiled brightly up at her boyfriend, while Bonnie and Caroline tried to stifle their laughter.  
  
"I'm with you Aunt Jenna," Elena frowned, feeling slightly left out by her group of friends. Stefan looked hilarious, but it didn't warrant that much laughter.   
  
"Welllllllll," Aella drew out moving over to stand next to Elena. "If someone weren't so picky with her Halloween outfit, you would get the joke. But you had to recycle your old nurse's outfit," Aella tutted, but then tapped her hip with Elena to show she was joking.   
  
Elena pushed her away, smile back on her face, "It's not my fault they only had the Snow White outfit a size too small. It was slutty!"  
  
"Opposed to that?" Jeremy snorted until Aella clipped him behind the head.   
  
"It looked hot one size too small!" Caroline declared, "and at least we would be matching."  
  
Bonnie nodded at her statement, "Now we're 3 unhappily dead Disney characters with a sexy, bloody nurse."  
  
Aella, who now had made her way back to Stefan, and was trying to make him forgive her kissing his face, shrugged at the group, "I may have objected to the lack of group unification but Elena stuck to her guns, and I am very proud at that."  
  
Jenna pointed from Aella to Elena, "I agree with Rapunzel."   
  
Aella giggled as she was able to catch Stefan's cheek with her lips, his own lips unable to stop the smile, when she pointed at Jenna, "Actually it's R.I.Punzel, Jenna."  
  
Jenna 'ahhhed' at the clever pun and pointed to Caroline and Bonnie, "And you two?"  
  
Caroline flipped her hood up and held up her basket, "Little Dead Riding Hood."  
  
Bonnie held up her plastic knife and tilted her head to the side looking very freaky, "Malice in Horrorland."  
  
Jenna actually shuddered at the pose and lack of emotion in Bonnie's eyes, thanks to the white contacts all the girls were wearing, "Okay, that was freaky. Go scare someone other than me."  
  
The group laughed, even Stefan who was now just going with the flow, he was just happy his brother would never see this. They were just stepping out of the house when Caroline smirked over to Stefan as she walked out, "Must suck to be a Vampire, right Stefan?"  
  
"Vampires used to be people, too, you know," Aella shouted after her best friend as the blonde and her cousin sniggered to themselves as they walked to Caroline's car.   
  
"If I didn't love you so much, I would have changed, I hope you know that," Stefan muttered to Aella who chuckled and kissed his lips.  
  
"And you know, I love you even more for putting it on," Aella smiled, pecking his lips once more.  
  
Stefan took a moment to appreciate how normal this all was, then pleaded to his girlfriend, "Just please, no photographic evidence."  
  
Aella threw her head back as her arms encircled Stefan's neck, kissing him intensely for a few moments, they pulled away before rubbing their noses against each other, until Aella smiled wickedly, "No way Jose! I gotta have evidence for when I finally meet Lexi."  
  
She skipped away from Stefan over to the car as Stefan slowly followed after, unable to let the smile fall from his lips; he actually loved his life right now.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE **

Damon hated his life right now.

He glared at the door he was unable to step out of, he hated his brother, he hated Pixie... kicking one of Vicki's shoes out of the open door he screamed, "I hate this stupid town!"

As the shoe flew out of the door and Damon returned to the Library, he was unaware of the invisible barrier surrounding his home slowly disintegrate as the powerful magic ended. **  
**

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH**  
  
Aella, unaware of her spell ending, as she laughed with Stefan and her best friend, drinking Tyler's 'Lockwood Special Cider.' Her cell phone rang in her bag, the music from the party drowning out its tone, it went to voicemail and only later on that night would she hear the voice of her grandmother:  
  
"Aella, it's Grams. About that spell you were questioning me about, keeping the barrier up you must continue the spell every 4 days, or the spell starts to break down. I'll explain more tomorrow when you can explain why you wanted to know about this spell. Love you baby."

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**   
  
Damon drank the last of the alcohol, he stumbled back to the open doorway and threw the empty bottle through the door, laughing hysterically as it smashed, "Oh you got a good one there brother," Damon chuckled.   
  
He wondered if him making his brothers life a nightmare was worth him going crazy in this house?   
  
He hated Mystic Falls.   
  
So why the hell was he here?  
  
Looking back to the door, he wondered if he used all his strength to run at the barrier, for the nth time, would it knock him out for at least a few hours? Would it be worth it?  
  
Yes, it was.   
  
Preparing himself, he moved back a few steps before he slapped his cheeks, pumping himself up for the pain about to hit him. With a deep breath, he ran at the door, full speed, and just before he hit the barrier he took a giant leap closing his eyes, already wincing at the pain, only to fly through the barrier.  
  
Damon opened his eyes when he didn't feel any pain, and only the feeling of fresh air on his face, to see he mid-air from his jump and in shock let out an unattractive, "_Aghhhhhh_!" Falling to the floor with a bang.

**DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD **  
  
Vicki was packing her things when Matt came home.   
  
She still hadn't made her mind up, but she knew one thing, she needed to be gone so Matt could move on without his fuck-up of a sister around. She had initially planned on leaving a note and going, but Matt arriving home had put a damper on that plan.   
  
Quickly putting the note in her pocket, she heard Matt casually walk in until he obviously realized someone else was in the house.  
  
"Vicki?"  
  
Running out of her room, to hide the packed bag, she saw Matt who visibly relaxed at the sight of her before he quickly ran up to her, pulling her into a tight hug.  
  
"Thank God you're okay," Matt whispered into her hair. "Where were you, Vic?"  
  
Vicki pulled away at the question, she hadn't expected to see her little brother, and hadn't thought of an excuse where she'd been except the truth, 'Oh yeah baby brother, I was with a real-life vampire having a boozy blood party when he decided to kill me', No, the truth wasn't the right way to do this. So with a heavy heart, she decided to play the role of the Vicki that Matt knew and hated, "It's no big deal. Drop it already."  
  
Matt didn't disappoint her as he pulled those hurt puppy dog eyes on her and Vicki felt her heart actually hurt, "Three people were murdered in the woods. We had a freakin' search party out lookin' for you while you were off on your crazy drug trip, and you want me to drop it?"  
  
Vicki turned her back on Matt as he fumed, tears filled her eyes, she couldn't let him see her crying, or this plan would fail. She could already feel herself growing hungry at the blood pumping through his veins, and she needed him to leave. When Matt sighed, not in frustration but disappointment Vicki knew Matt had finished with her crap, "Whatever Vick, I'm done."  
  
Matt left the house, and Vicki let the tears escape her eyes, and she sadly whispered to her herself, "Goodbye Matty, I love you."  
  
**MYSTIC GRILL**  
  
Damon had honestly planned to kill Stefan, Blondie, and Pixie as soon as he escaped his home arrest but after an embarrassing escape, and the lack of booze, Damon decided to take a detour first at the Mystic Grill for a drink as he thought up his diabolical plan.   
  
What he didn't expect was to see Mrs. Mayor dressed up like a flapper, eyeing him up.   
  
Holding up his glass to her in 'cheers' she turned away blushing, and Damon knew who his next target was to have a bit of fun with.


	33. As if I'd have a normal fear like that!

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**  
  
Aella giggled as she made Stefan dance to the music blaring through the school. They had already gone through the haunted corridor laughing hysterically as Caroline became a loving third wheel to them and clung between them, screaming in horror as students dressed up as zombies and other horrible things, jumped out at them.   
  
"So nothing scared you yet?" Stefan asked as he pulled Aella close.  
  
Using her long blonde wig to tickle his nose she giggled and playfully shook her head, "Me scared, never."  
  
"Elena told me that every year the boys try to scare you and fail every year," Stefan wafted the hair away, wiggling his nose in irritation, which had Aella 'ahhing' how cute the move was.   
  
"Nope!" Aella popped her 'p' as she wrapped her arms around his neck dancing close with him, "They don't know my biggest fear, and never will."  
  
Stefan raised his brow, "And how can you be so sure?"  
  
"Only one person knows" Aella whispered to him, as though Tyler and Matt were listening in on their conversation. "And she would never give me up."  
  
"She?" Stefan summarised, then guessed, "Caroline?"  
  
"Ha!" Aella exclaimed. "As if I would tell that Barbie something she could use to get back at me."  
  
"Bonnie?" Stefan guessed again.  
  
"Na-uh," Aella smirked. "I love you Stefan, but I ain't telling you that."  
  
Stefan smirked, and it was a smirk that unnerved Aella, "Grams?"  
  
Aella's eyes widened as he guessed correctly, "How did yo-" Someone tapped her shoulder and she turned around mid-question Stefan, thinking it was someone asking her when she got her costume from - for the umpteenth time- when she was faced with the masks of three, eerie, appalling, atrocious, disgusting, abhorrent, horrific, evil, CLOWNS.  
  
"Agghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Aella screamed terrified.  
  
Stefan realized his mistake when Aella didn't scream then laugh with him, but suddenly started screaming and crying, even when Jeremy, Tyler, and Matt removed the masks laughing alongside him. "Aella," he pulled her into his chest as she started sobbing, her body shaking from the power of the sobs.  
  
Jeremy, Tyler and Matt's laughter stopped abruptly with his own as they realized that Aella wasn't just scared of clowns, she was terrified. Feeling sick with guilt as they quickly removed their masks, moving closer to Aella and talking over one another apologizing. They looked to Stefan, who could only shrug as Aella continued to sob, their apologizes not doing anything.   
  
"Aella, I'm...we're...so sorry," Stefan apologized reaching down to take hold of her cheek when he realized they were not wet, in fact, Aella's lips were pulled into a smile, and Stefan realized that her shaking was not from crying but laughing.  
  
**"GOTCHA!"**  
  
Aella pulled herself out of Stefan's arms and screamed out the words as Elena, Bonnie and Caroline jumped out shouting the same words; Bonnie holding up her cell phone recording the whole thing. Aella stood with her best friends as he and the boys just stared between the camera and the girls in shock, they had been bested at their own scare game.  
  
"How?... Wh-" Tyler stuttered out.  
  
Bonnie smiled, focusing the camera on him, "You guys always get one of us every year, how does it feel when the tables are turned?"   
  
"Wait?" Jeremy frowned looking to Aella. "Are you afraid of clowns?"  
  
"No!" Aella exclaimed appalled. "As if I'd have a normal fear like that! Do you not know who I am Jeremy?"  
  
"That sounds about right," Matt scoffed, but his eyes were drawn to Elena and the outfit that matched his, a look that Caroline did not miss.   
  
Aella suddenly slapped Stefan who pulled back rubbing his arm, "You tried to scare me?"  
  
"Ow," Stefan rubbed her shoulder, she had used her magic to hit him and had actually hurt him. "They said it would be their only chance to prank you."  
  
Aella glared at him for a moment until she smiled brightly and jumped into his arms, "You are perfect for me."   
  
Stefan stumbled back as he laughed in shock at her change of emotion, "What?"  
  
"What?" Tyler and Jeremy echoed, equally as confused.   
  
"Not only is he super hot, but he'll also even try to prank me," Aella boasted. "Do you know how rare that is in a boyfriend?"  
  
Bonnie snorted, shaking her head at her cousin, "Only you would love having a boyfriend who tries to prank you."  
  
"I know!" Aella smiled brightly.  
  
Stefan leaned down to Aella and whispered into her ear, "I'm never going to 100% understand you am I?"  
  
Aella looked up into his eyes and smirked, "No, Sir. You got a problem with that?"  
  
Stefan kissed her lips, "No Ma'am."  
  
Aella kissed him back when Tyler threw his mask on the floor in annoyance, "30 Bucks wasted."  
  
Aella pulled back from Stefan and picked the mask off the floor, wiping it free of dirt and mock cobwebs, she looked to Tyler and Jeremy with a devilish smirk, "You know, I may not be scared of clowns but..."  
  
The boys thought over her words moment before they realized her meaning as Aella placed on the mask and ran after the younger students in the school, especially the girls, scaring them. Jeremy placed his mask on and ran after her as Tyler stole Matt's and ran with him.  
  
"I should be surprised that Aella would use the prank on the boys to scare small children, but I'm not," Caroline rolled her eyes as she stepped up to Stefan with Bonnie.   
  
Bonnie shrugged with a laugh before following after the group shouting over her shoulder to the two of them, "I gotta get this on video."  
  
Stefan was about to ask if Caroline wanted a drink when he saw her staring over at Elena and Matt, who were now standing close and laughing together, "You okay Caroline?"  
  
Caroline watched the two exes for a few more seconds then turned to Stefan, "How am I supposed to compare to that? They were together for so long!"  
  
"But they also broke up," Stefan offered to which Caroline scoffed.  
  
"Elena broke up with him, not versa visa!"  
  
Stefan had to force his lips close as Caroline got the adverb mixed up, but didn't have the heart to tell her, "I do think he likes you."  
  
"Did you not see and hear the 'Hey' debacle today?" The blonde frowned, "He hates me after that."  
  
"Hate's a strong word."   
  
"What do you think I should do?"  
  
Stefan thought over his answer, "Just talk to him like his friend. The way you spoke when he helped you after the carwash."  
  
"Friends?" Caroline screwed her nose up at the word. "Are you friends with Aella?"  
  
"Of course," Stefan laughed. "If there's one thing I've learned all my years being alive, if your not friends with the girl you love, then it's not going to be an exciting relationship."  
  
"AELLA!"  
  
Caroline and Stefan winced as a group of girls screeched Aella's name following Aella's laughter, "Speaking of interesting," Caroline smirked.  
  
Stefan nodded and nodded his head to where the yell came from, "I better go find Aella, you should talk to Matt-" he motioned to Matt who was now walking away from Elena- "like his friend to whom he says 'hey' to."  
  
Caroline nodded, and the two walked away from each other only to stop when Caroline shouted Stefan, "Hey Stefan?"  
  
The vampire turned to her with a raised brow, "Thank you for listening to me."  
  
"Hey," Stefan chuckled with a slight shrug. "Aella made it very clear that your her number 1, so looks like your my number 2."  
  
Caroline chuckled with a nod and start making her way to Matt realizing how lucky she was to have Aella and now Stefan in her life. 

**DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD**

Vicki groaned in pain as she laid on her childhood bed, Matt had gone to the Halloween party she had sent Aella to, only Matt had left in anger. As the pain moved from her stomach to her back, she realized that her decision could not be made with one hundred perfectness certainty until she had made amends with Matt. Yeah, she knew she couldn't exactly tell him the truth, but she knew she couldn't just 'leave' without their relationship being in a better place than this.

As the pain rippled all around her upper body, she made a decision that she would regret for the remaining hours of her life. Picking up a notepad and pen, just in case she wasn't able to make it to meet Matt, and wrote her goodbye letter.

_ **'Dear Matty... Matt... Little brother,** _

_ **I know we've never really been the sentimental types, but bear with me for a just a few paragraphs here. I have a lot to say and so little time left to say it...** _

_ **I consider myself one of the luckiest people around to be able to watch you grow up. I'm not gonna lie, being the older sibling isn't necessarily a piece of cake, but it's so, so worth it. I remember that first year of High School or 'Hell School' as we called it, and thinking to myself, "Oh my god... Matty is going to have to go through this hell-hole, too." The idea of you having to deal with similar hardships crushed me. Little did I know that you would face an entirely different school experience and hardship would not be about school... but me.** _

_ **You never had it easy. I watched you crumble so many times, and I would beat myself up over the fact that either mom or I would be causing it. We should have been the ones helping you with problems not creating them. I'm so sorry for everything Matty. I'm so sorry I wasn't the sister you deserved. I could be so, so cruel, and I will never understand why that was. You took it. You took it and never fought back. You showed more strength in those two years than I will ever be able to muster in a lifetime, and for that, I am so proud of you.** _

_ **It's now time for me to make you proud.** _

_ **I'm leaving Matty, I have to leave Mystic Falls, or I'll become someone worse than I already am, and I can't do that to you anymore. You'll probably not hear from me for a while but know in the end I made the right choice. I became a better person, thanks to you.** _

_ **Study hard, finish high school and become successful, I know you can do it. And those friends of yours aren't too bad... especially the loud one.** _

_ **I love you, Matthew.** _

_ **Your big sister,** _

_ **Vicki.'** _

Folding the letter up, she wrote Matt's name on the front before kissing his name, her tears wetting the message as she did so. As she opened her childhood front door, she looked back into the house, the house she hated and tried to escape for so long, and silently said goodbye to it. With her bag of clothes in hand to make it look like she had left, Vicki closed the door to the Donovan Household and started making her way to the High School. Her body throbbing in pain with every step, hoping she would be able to make it to her brother before it was too late, or she made the worst mistake of her life.

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

Jeremy would never believe anyone if they told him he'd have one of the funnest nights in Mystic Falls High, But all bets were off when you were in the company of Aella Bennett. Since their failed attempt at scaring Aella he and said brunette was currently running around scaring as many people as they could with the terrifying clown masks. They'd targeted cheerleaders, freshmen, members of the football team, and anyone else that Jeremy didn't like... which Jeremy realized was quite a lot of people at Mystic Falls High.

Aella was giggling into his shoulder after their successful attempt at scaring the chaperones when he saw her, and a feeling he hadn't felt since he became drug-free spread through his body. Vicki Donovan hadn't been seen for nearly a week, and Jeremy had silently hoped she'd just gone on a drug bend and was not lying dead in a ditch. He had joined Matt and Tyler searching for her, but they came up empty each time, but their worries were eased when rumors spread that Vicki's fellow drug users were also missing, a sure sign that they were all on a drug binge.

Yet as Vicki made her way through the dark corridor nudging her way past other students she looked sober, pale, but sober, and desperately looking for someone.

Aella adjusted her wig as she took off the clown mask, who knew a cheap plastic thing could be so much fun.

"So who's next?" She asked Jeremy as she looked around for her next target. When Jeremy didn't answer, she nudged him and repeated her question. "Jer?"

At her nudge Jeremy looked to her his brows furrowed, "Vicki's here."

"What?" Aella laughed lightly in confusion, Vicki was at home deciding whether to become a vampire or die.

Wow! What a party pooper though.

Looking around Jeremy, she was shocked to see that he was right and Vicki was unknowingly making her way towards them, without thinking Aella switched positions with Jeremy and pulled his face towards her so he could look into her eyes, "This is going to sound crazy right now, but you have to trust me. Do you trust me?"

Jeremy nodded without hesitation, "Always."

Tears prickled in Aella's eyes in his trust and pulled out her phone, "You need to find Stefan right now and tell him Vicki is here and he needs to call me, and you need to avoid her at all costs."

Jeremy was confused, "Wha-"

"-Please Jer," Aella begged as Vicki turned down another corridor. "Don't question just do and I promise I will explain everything after."

Jeremy had never seen Aella so desperate and just nodded, taking a few steps backward before turning and running to where he and Aella were with Stefan last.

Aella took a deep breath watching Jeremy run away then turned and forced past students to follow and find Vicki before she did anything she would regret.

Jeremy pushed past a couple making out and turned down the corridor he'd seen Stefan in last. Trying to look past the people in the hallway he was forced to the side as a large group of freshmen ran away from something, his head got twisted in some of the foil decorations, and when he pulled it away from his neck, a sharp pain burnt his throat. His hand pushed down the pain as his other aggressively pulled the remaining decorations away, only to feel a slight wetness in his palm and as he pulled it away from his neck the light reflected off the redness in his hand, and he realized the decoration had cut him.

Wiping the blood away with his shirt he ran down the corridor, unable to find Stefan and turned the corner only to be pulled back into a bright room.

..............................................

..............................................

Aella turned a corner when she saw Stefan, Bonnie and Caroline talking amongst each other, with a sigh of relief she ran over to the group, and almost like he could feel her anxiety, Stefan turned just before she reached them and pulled her towards him.

"Are you okay?"

Caroline and Bonnie quickly moved closer to the pair, to listen in and to keep their conversation private from the teenagers around them.

Aella took a deep breath, "Vicki is here?"

"What?!" Caroline exclaimed for all of them as Stefan frowned.

"What is she doing here?" Bonnie asked the question they were all thinking.

"I don't know" Aella shrugged when a sharp pain had her holding her neck with a gasp. Stefan was about to question her when Aella went into a vision, the group came in tighter to hide Aella blank look and Stefan took hold of her in case she lost balance only for Aella to return to them, eyes wide and skin starting to pale.

**MYSTIC GRILL**

"So you need vervain?"

Damon wasn't easily surprised, but it looked like today was full of surprises as he was quickly able to get the Mayor's wife to trust him.

"Yes," Carol nodded as she played with the olives in her drink. "My husband and I only have left what his parents left him, And Zach had promised that he could supply us with more."

"Well, I talk to him all the time," Damon mentioned casually. "So why don't I just ask him?"

"Hmm?"

Damon nodded, "Mmm. How much do you need?" He needed to know numbers, "I mean, how many people you think?"

Carol drunkenly nodded at his question, not concerned at all why Zach hadn't told him any of this, "Well, there's our children, of course."

"Of course."

"And, um, friends, family, and everyone on the council."

The council? Here he was surprised again.

"The council?" He questioned.

Carol coyly smirked at Damon, "Zach knows how many." Damon leaned closer when Carol giggled and took another drink of her martini, "But I am so late. My husband is not going to be happy with me."

"Well, are you happy with your husband?" If in doubt - flirt.

"You're flirting with me."

"You flirted with me first," Damon almost wanted to bop her nose, then he realized he was flirting with a mom and not a sorority girl.

"True."

"Let me escort you to the school," Now he was up to date with all the news it was time to kill his brother and Pixie. "It's not safe out there alone. I mean, I've seen 10 vampires tonight."

Carol giggled as she took another sip, "Heh. well, if only the real ones were as easy to find."

Damon realized she hadn't revealed everything yet, "How's that search goin'?"

Carol took a bit gulp in disappointment, "Oh, we had the founder's party, and anyone who arrived during the day was eliminated as a suspect."

"Oh." Damon tried to express his surprise as he inwardly laughed that the stupid Town Council still had no clue about vampire nearly 200 years later.

"And all the rest were just dead ends," Carol shrugged before taking a final of her drink and standing slightly. "So mmm mmm, I gotta go."

"Okay," Damon nodded and moved out of the booth so Carol could get out and offered his arm to her. With another drunken giggle she took, and they walked out, Carol hoping she would sober up on the walk over and Damon with murder on his mind.

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH**

"Vicki?" Jeremy sighed in relief when he eyes adjusted to the bright lights outside. "Whoa. Vic, you scared the hell out of me."

Vicki just shook her head as tears developed, "Sorry. I'm sorry."

She didn't know what she was apologizing for; leading him on? Choosing Tyler over him? Speaking to him in anger? Maybe it was all three and more, but she knew she had to apologize for whatever happened.

"I was so worried about you," he stroked her hair as she squeezed him tighter. He didn't need her to apologize, he was just happy she was safe and okay.

Vicki nodded as she pulled away wiping her tears away, "I'm fine now, but...I gotta leave."

Jeremy was shocked, she'd just returned, "Wh...what? Where?"

"I gotta get out of here, Jer," She sighed sadly knowing her words were not entirely the truth, "I just...I need to make myself better for Matt... for you."

Jeremy shook his head, she didn't need to do this, "No, you can't, you don't need to. You can't just leave."

Vicki smiled sadly as she pulled back and reached for his neck to brush her thumb on the nape of his neck, something that had always comforted him. But as he hand met his neck, she felt a slight stickiness, and when she pulled her hand back slightly she recognized the liquid by sight and smell... blood.

..............................................

..............................................

"What happened?" Stefan quickly questioned Aella, the vision had just happened so the memory would be strong.

Aella wide eyes met Stefan's as they filled with tears, "Vicki has Jeremy." And without thought, she pulled away from him and ran to where her heart was telling her to go.

Stefan tried to pull her back but his vampire reaction had switched off at the tears in her eyes, turning to Bonnie and Caroline, who too was tearing up, he started following Aella and instructed the two, "Find Matt, keep him occupied and have your phones available."

Before either two could respond with anything other than nods Stefan had disappeared after Aella.


	34. Tell Matty I lo...

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL**

Vicki stared at the blood, all of her senses concentrating on the small amount of liquid spread across her hand. The voices in her head were telling her to lick it, telling her to wipe it and run away from Jeremy. The views of her brother, Aella, Damon, Tyler, and Stefan all telling her to do opposite things getting louder and louder and louder until she did what only instinct told her to do.

And so she tasted the blood.

"Vicki?"

Jeremy's voice was muffled by the voices until the blood on her hand was gone, and she looked away from her damp palm to the confused face of Jeremy then to the cut on his neck.

"Vicki? Are you okay?"

Vicki's eyes strayed from the bleeding cut as her eyes met Jeremy's, her eyes tearing up as she realized she had just made the biggest mistake of her life, "I'm sorry Jer."

Jeremy had never been so confused in his life, "For what Vick?"

Vicki took hold of the nape of his neck, stroking her thumb on the short hairs growing there, and as her hand tightened, she looked back into Jeremy's eyes, "For this." And her face quickly moved to his neck, and her lips sucked at the wound until nature took its course and her teeth took a bite.

"Vicki, what the hell?!" Jeremy panicked, and when he tried to pull away, her grip was too strong, "Oh, my god. No! Stop! Vicki! No! Ahhhhhhhh!"

..............................................

..............................................

Damon had just entered to party when he saw a Bennett witch, just not the one he hoped to torture for a few days before slowly killing her. Bonnie was smiling as she watched everyone arrive her and something in Damon wanted to remove that smile, and so he walked up to her, and when she saw him Bonnie did not disappoint; the smile went first and then came that classic Bennett glare that he noticed all the Bennett witches had inherited.

"What do you want Damon?" Bonnie snarled, and Damon had to give her credit, she was a feisty one.

"Where's your miniature cousin?"

At the mention of her cousin, Bonnie seemed to grow with confidence, "Do yourself a favor, Damon, and don't ask me about Aella."

"Oh, Bonnie," he chuckled darkly. "So loyal."

She stepped forward trying to intimidate him, which was just hilarious to the vampire, "Just stay away from her."

He was about to play with her a little more when he saw her necklace, and instead frowned and the familiar piece, "Where'd you get that?"

Bonnie held the necklace tight to her body, "Nowhere."

Damon then remembered where he saw it last, "The Founder's Party. You know that's mine, don't you?"

Bonnie scowled at him, holding the necklace even tighter, "Not anymore."

Damon had to give her credit, she could give her cousin a run for her money with this attitude, "Funny. I'd like it back, please."

"I'm not giving it to you, it doesn't belong to you."

"Or I could just take it right now?" Damon was sick of the games and reached forward to grab it for her neck when the metal burnt his skin, and he pulled his hand away. Bonnie stared between his hand and her necklace before she ran away leaving Damon glaring after her.

He was just about to run after her when he heard screams and realized just who those screams belonged to.

..............................................

..............................................

When Aella felt the pain in her neck so knew she was too late and pumped her legs faster than ever before, using her powers to forcefully open the doors, hearing Stefan running behind her as she reached the doors to the backlot and blew them wide open only to see and hear Jeremy screaming as Vicki drank his blood.

"Vicki no!" Aella cried and pushed her hand, so Vicki flew away from the boy and through the air into a school bus.

Aella ran over to a shocked Jeremy and stood in front of him just as Stefan and Damon sped in shocking Jeremy even more.

"I'm sorry," Vicki sobbed on the ground where she had landed. "I'm so sorry." But before she could apologize again, the smell of blood now leaking from Jeremy's wound was too much and she sped towards Jeremy and Aella and just as she reached them Damon broke a piece of wood from next to the dumpster and stabbed her in the heart.

"Noooooooo!" Stefan screamed as Vicki stood still before Aella's back, her eyes meeting Jeremy's who's had only widened more.

Aella turned at the sound of her boyfriend to see Vicki's face in shock, and a piece of wood pushed through her chest, "No." Aella shook her head as Vicki swayed and Aella took hold of her as Stefan angrily pushed Damon away and the two laid Vicki down. "No. Vicki hold on."

"I'm sorry," Vicki whispered as tears fell down her bleeding face. "I tried."

"I know," Aella nodded desperately, wiping Vicki's tears and the blood away with her hands. "You were so strong, I should have stayed with you."

Vicki just smiled sadly, "This was my decision, thank you for being here today."

Aella sobbed as the grey started riding up Vicki's face, "Of course, always... who cares about our past I would have always been there."

"Tell Matty I lo..." Vicki started but before she could finish the grey took over, and she fell stiff in Aella and Stefan's arms.

"Vicki?" Aella shook the girl hoping this was all a joke but she did not respond. "Vicki, don't do this to Matt." Aella shook her again as she sobbed out Vicki's name hoping she would respond with a sarcastic comment. "Vicki!"

But she didn't.

Stefan slowly lowered Vicki's body to the ground and took hold of Aella as she screamed the teenager's name, "She's gone."

"No," Aella shook her head as she sobbed. "We promised her she wouldn't be in pain. She can't have gone like this."

"I'm sorry," Stefan whispered into her hair.

Aella was about to call Vicki's name again when a soft voice called hers, "Aella?"

She stopped and stilled as she realized who had just witnessed everything, her heartbreaking at his whimper. She felt sick. Taking a deep breath, Aella pulled herself away from Stefan and turned to Jeremy who was staring down at Vicki's dead body.

Aella ignored Stefan's call and rushed to Jeremy who could only stare at the scene before him in shock as his hand held the bleeding wound on his neck.

"Let me see," Aella focused on Jeremy as she wiped her tears away, ignoring the blood already on her hands.

"She bit me," Jeremy sighed but did not move his hand.

Aella tried to move his hand, her own hands shaking as tears fell down her face, but it was stuck there, "Let me see Jer."

But Jeremy wasn't listening as he rambled, his own tears now gathering, "And you moved your hand, and she just flew."

"I know Jeremy," Aella squeezed her lips to hold back the tears, "I just need to see your neck."

"And then Stefan and Damon came out of nowhere," Jeremy's eyes moved from Aella to Stefan and Damon. "They came from nowhere."

Aella had to snap him out of this and in her harshest tone snapped his name, "Jeremy look at me and focus!"

Jeremy's eyes snapped to her's for a moment, and finally, he released the hand on his neck before his eyes rested on Vicki again as Aella took a ripped piece of her dress and pressed it into the wound. Jeremy whimpered at the pain and Aella focused on his injury when Jeremy whispered tearfully, "What the hell happened Aella?"

Aella didn't answer him for a moment, and she wiped the blood away until her tearful eyes met his own and whispered with a heavy heart, "Something I never wanted you to be a part of."

..............................................

..............................................

As Aella moved Jeremy to sit on the floor and leaned against the school so she could see his wound easier, Stefan looked up at Damon, "Are you happy now?"

Damon didn't answer as his eyes glanced over to Aella and Jeremy before they focused on his brother, "I'll deal with this."

Stefan was about to nod when Aella sharp tone reached the two brothers, "No."

The two looked to her as she stepped away from Jeremy glaring at Damon, "I think you've done enough Damon."

Damon chuckled as his eyes moved from Aella's to Jeremy's, to Stefan's, all of their eyes filled with agony and despair. He was going to kill Stefan and his little Pixie tonight but this, this was so much better. With a final smirk, Damon sped away.

They all watched the space Damon had vacated for a few moments before Aella turned to Stefan, "We need to do this humanely."

Stefan nodded, glancing at Jeremy who was staring down at Vicki's body before looking back to Aella, "What do you have in mind?"

Aella bit her lip as she thought over what to do, looking down at Vicki she knew she had to do right by the teenage, something only a small amount of people had done her entire life, and Aella was not going to let her down. "We tell Matt that we saw her crying and heading to the woods, Matt will want to look for her, and we help him, we do everything we would usually do."

"And the body?" Stefan asked as he looked down at the stick through Vicki's chest. "Can't exactly explain that one."

Aella looked over at Jeremy, his eyes still staring at Vicki's body as he held the piece of Aella's dress to his throat, when she looked back at Stefan she sighed sadly, "We have to make it look like it was an accident, she was upset and running through the woods, tripped and fell onto a branch?"

Stefan could only agree, what else could they say, "So bizarre it's actually true, plus the Town Council will just be happy to have a vampire gone, they'll make sure the people believe it."

Aella laughed sarcastically, tears in her voice, "After all this is Mystic Falls," the laughter quickly turned to tears, and Stefan pulled her into his chest, "How the hell are we having this conversation right now Stefan?"

"I know," Stefan sympathized as he kissed her forehead.

"This shouldn't have happened to her," Aella finally cried out, and all Stefan could do was hold her close. "We could have done more."

Stefan pulled away and looked down at Aella, "You did all you could, and if Matt knew this was the end he would be happy to know she had you there at the end."

"Okay," Aella nodded wiping away her tears and stepping back to look down at Vicki. "Are you okay to deal with her?"

Stefan nodded and bent down and took hold of Vicki gently before standing back up with her, "I'll call you when it's done."

"Okay," Aella whispered with a nod and turned back to Jeremy as Stefan sped away. With a deep breath she made her way back over to Jeremy and got down on the floor opposite him, "I'm sorry you had to see this Jeremy."

Jeremy didn't say anything for a few moments, his eyes still rested on the spot Vicki's body had just been lying on, soon his red-rimmed eyes met Aella's own, "Is Vicki dead?"

Aella could only nod a few times before Jeremy nodded too and then he was quiet again. When he looked back to Aella, he took a deep breath before he questioned her again, "Why did she do-" he motioned to his neck wound "-this? Why did Damon do that to her? How did you do that to Vicki? How can Stefan and Damon do that? And Vic..."

Aella thought over his questions, how could she explain this to him without freaking him out even more? How could she let him into the supernatural world without him hating her or Stefan? But then she realized that this wasn't about her, this wasn't about Stefan, it was about Jeremy. He had unknowingly been dragged into the world of witches, vampires and other supernatural creatures roaming the world, and he now needed an explanation.

So Aella made herself comfortable and took Jeremy's free hand in hers, "What I'm about to share with you only a small percentage of people know about, and once you know the whole thing your life will never be the same again. Are you sure you want to know the whole truth."

Jeremy thought over her words, could he just ignore all of this and get on with his life pretending it was all a nightmare? But then he thought of Vicki as she sobbed in Aella's arms and he knew he could never get that image out of his mind without some explanation. And he knew what he needed to do, so with a nod to Aella he said, "I want to know."

And so Aella explained to Jeremy, just as she had done with Bonnie and Caroline, the world he was actually living in. There were tears, there was anger, and there was recognition as Aella revealed Stefan's history not only with Mystic Falls but also with Damon. There was also admiration as Aella explained her history with magic and his father, he smiles as she told him how his father had not only taken her into his home but taught her to protect herself and those around her.

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

Stefan knew that Caroline was really in the thick of his, Aella's and his brother drama when he rang the blonde, and she picked up the phone, not with a 'Hello,' or with a 'Hi Stefan' but, "What happened? Is Aella okay?"

He had just found the right tree to make Aella's story for Vicki's death believable when he pulled out his cell phone to call Aella, and was instead inundated with multiple messages from Caroline and Bonnie.

"Aella's ok, but Vicki's dead," He told them unable to think of another way to explain that nights event. It all started so badly and then finally turned normal, but as always the normal didn't last.

There was silence on the other side of the phone until Bonnie, making herself known that she too was listening in asked, "How? Did she make the decis-"

"-she bit Jeremy" Stefan jumped in before she could finish her question. "And before Aella or I could help her Damon made a choice to kill her."

The silence on the end of the line was almost deafening, and Stefan could practically hear the fury coming from the two girls. Before either could show him that anger he carried on, "Aella's in the backlot with Jeremy, he saw the whole thing, can one or both of you be with her because this hit her harder than she thought." And before either could reply he hung up the phone and knelt down next to Vicki's body, moving her hair from her face, he sighed sadly, "I'm sorry we couldn't help you, Vicki."

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH**

When Caroline and Bonnie found Aella and Jeremy she had just finished telling him a summary of the relationship between Stefan and Damon, and Jeremy's anger towards had only grown as Aella explained that when Vicki was bit in the woods it was Damon and it was Damon who had Vicki for the week she had been missing. Then they sat in silence, Aella giving Jeremy some time to process it all when Caroline and Bonnie turned the corner in the back lot of the school and found them. 

Aella didn't waste a second and ran into the arms of her cousin and best friend, she had no more tears to cry but needed the comfort of her loved ones. Bonnie held Aella close before Caroline pulled Aella into her arms and Bonnie's eyes moved from the best friends with a sad smile to Jeremy, who was staring out at night with a blank look on his face and the small smile fell from her face. 

She made her way over to the teenager and sat down next to him, "Are you okay?"

Jeremy didn't say anything at first which Bonnie understood until he looked to her with a sardonic grin, "I knew the candle thing was not a trick."

Bonnie was stuck at what her reaction could be, he was grinning, but it wasn't a humored grin and so chose to return his cynical smile, "Aella told you everything then."

Jeremy only nodded for a few moments looking down at the ground until he returned his gaze towards hers, "I just can't believe this world has been around all this time, and I never knew... I mean Aella is like another sister and I never even thought she was any different."

"Other than being Aella?" Bonnie smirked, her cousin was definitely unique in her own way, with or without magic. 

Jeremy couldn't help but snort and nod, Aella had helped him through so much in her own way, and he knew his life the past few years would be a 180' if it hadn't been for her. He looked past Bonnie at Aella who was still holding Caroline close. 

He nodded over to Aella at Bonnie, "How many times has this happened to her? She looks so..?"

Bonnie looked over her shoulder her cousin and frowned at her tight grip on Caroline and the paleness of her skin, even with the Halloween makeup on her face, turning back to Jeremy she answered his unfinished question, "Broken?"

"Yeah."

Bonnie's eyes filled with tears as she thought about what her cousin had been through in the past few years, she held her necklace tight against her body again, "That's because she is Jer. Even before Damon Salvatore stepped back into Mystic Falls... she just hid it far too well."

"I hate him." Jeremy scowled looking back to the floor. "For what he did to Vicki, to Aella, to Stefan... to me. Why can't he just leave?"

Bonnie didn't know how to explain Damon to herself, let alone anyone else and before she could tell Jeremy that a familiar voice answered that for her, "_Because it's a lot easier to be angry at someone than it is to tell them you're hurt_." 

Jeremy and Bonnie's head turned to Aella who now stood beside them, Caroline's hand in hers, Aella's eyes were a mix of red from her tears, and black from her eye makeup, the lines on her face proof from her tears, but her face was now dry of them. 

Aella held her hands out to Jeremy, and he took them allowing her to help him up, she wiped the wet his tears left behind, "You see Jer, when a human becomes a vampire their emotions are increased an infinite amount, and Damon's anger has been there for over 150 years. He doesn't know how not to hate."

"But that doesn't make it right," Jeremy scowled at her, but Aella knew his anger wasn't aimed at her.

"It doesn't," Aella furious shook her head. "But our focus is now on Vicki and Ma-" her voice broke as she thought about her friend and she cleared her throat "-and Matt. They are our focus right now, okay?"

Jeremy nodded immediately, it wasn't often Aella cried, and just that break in her voice was enough for him to do anything needed him to do. Aella looked to Bonnie, who had now stood with them, and Caroline, "Right?"

The two girls nodded, and Caroline asked, "So what do we do?" The blonde's mind had been on two things since Stefan had told them of Vicki's deaths; Aella and Matt. 

"We have to protect Vicki, Matt, and Stefan," Aella told them she looked to Jeremy, "which also includes Damon." 

Jeremy opened his mouth to complain, but Aella held her hand up, "I know Jer, not what any of us want to do, but to protect the ones we love also means protecting him." She took hold of Jeremy's hands and looked into his angry eyes, "But he will pay Jeremy, I promise."


	35. We failed Vicki

**MYSTIC FALLS HIGH **

Aella took a deep breath as she finally spotted Matt outside, he was laughing with members of the football team and Aella did not want to be the one that changed his life tonight but Damon had made that impossible for, she almost started crying again as she watched Matt. Hadn't this boy had enough shit happen his life, why was this happening to one of the nicest guys on the planet. But she knew she had to be strong for Matt and sucked in her tears and started making her way over to him.   
  
It showed just how good of a person Matt was that as soon as Matt saw Aella, her makeup smudged and blood all over her dress and hair, his smile faded as he ran over to her, "A? Whoa. wh...what happened?"  
  
Aella wanted to roll her eyes, Caroline had told her it would be best to clean herself up, but she just wanted to find Matt, "Nothing." She smiled fakely to him, "Some idiot with some fake blood got me, and it went in my eyes, blood and Halloween contacts are a no go."  
  
Matt seemed to calm at that, but then he brought up the topic Aella was dreading, "Have you see Vicki? Someone said they saw her here."  
  
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about Matt," Aella frowned, and Matt sobered up at her tone. "Jeremy and I were getting some air, and we saw Vicki running towards the woods crying." She swallowed hard as Matt shook his head in frustration. "We went after her, but she just had a bigger head start on us."  
  
"Is this what I'm in for A," Matt asked her in defeat. "A lifetime of worrying about her? You know we had an argument before I came here about her behavior and now she does this!"  
  
Aella was shocked, Matt had come home between her and Stefan leaving Vicki and Vicki coming to the school, now she understood why Vicki had come to the school; She needed to apologize to Matt. Aella's heart broke again, and it took everything within her to not cry, so she told Matt precisely what he needed to hear, "You are an amazing brother Matt, just know I'm here for anything."   
  
Matt nodded with a shy smile on his face, "Maybe she went home?"  
  
She wasn't, but Aella couldn't tell that, and so she nodded hesitantly, "Maybe? Do you want a lift to your house to check?"  
  
"Yeah," he nodded. "Thanks, A."  
  
Aella and Matt made their way over to her car, as they were walking Matt asked, "So where's the vampire?"  
  
"What?!" Aella spun to him eye open wide. "Vampire?"  
  
"Yea," Matt asked a bemused expression on his face. "Stefan? He was dressed as a vampire, right?"  
  
"Yes!" Aella exclaimed a little too loud, relief flowing through her veins. "Stefan is dressed as a vampire. But it's only a costume."  
  
Matt was a little baffled, Aella was a little crazier than usual, "So?"  
  
"So?" She repeated back confused, heartbeat back to normal. Then remembered Matt's original question, "Oh Stefan? He's with Caroline and Bonnie, I told them about Vicki, and they're checking the school to see if she returned."  
  
"But Caroline and Bonnie know what Vick is like, why are they looking?" Matt confusedly asked.   
  
"She looked really upset Matt," Aella emphasized. "It worried us all."  
  
Matt nodded, and they carried on to the car, Matt a little more worried than he was before, he was about to question Aella some more when he saw Jeremy leaned against Aella's car, "Jer?"  
  
"Hey Matt," Jeremy straightened up and cleared his throat.   
  
"Wow, Vick must have looked really upset if you're helping too." Matt chuckled at the younger Gilbert. "Thought you didn't like my sister anymore?"  
  
Jeremy panicked, he thought he would be good to go with Aella and Matt, but now faced with Vicki's brother he had no clue how to act. How could he act like normal knowing that only an hour ago Vicki died right in front of him and now he had to act as if nothing had happened? Aella noticed his panic and nudged him with the toe of her shoe, but that did nothing, so she answered for him, "Not like?" Aella chuckled fakely, and she pushed Jeremy away from the driver's side so she could get in the car, and to also knock some sense in him, "He was just trying to play cool in front of her."  
  
Matt chuckled in with her as he moved around the car and got in the passenger's side, "Well I believed it."  
  
While Matt got in the car, Aella turned to Jeremy eyes wide as she mouthed 'What are you doing?', Jeremy just winced and got in the back of the vehicle. Taking another deep breath, she placed the fake smile back on her face and got in the car, "Onwards to Casa Donovan."

**DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD**  
  
When they reached Matt's House, Matt quickly got out of the car before Aella could place the car in park. His humor of the situation as they got closer to his house, he knew Aella was trying to keep the atmosphere light, but he knew that she was worried, and a worried Aella worried him.   
  
It was silent in the car as the two teens watched Matt's front door. After a few minutes Jeremy growled lightly, Why are we worrying him even more if we know what's happened? Why can we just tell him to go into the woods and he finds her?"  
  
Aella turned to him, brow raised, "If you didn't know about Vicki already, would you go trouncing through the woods first? Or would you try all the places she goes to when she's upset?" Jeremy didn't answer, and Aella continued, "We have to make this real, J, and a real missing person means that people get worried. It's going to be hard because we know the truth, but if that's what it takes to protect us all, Matt included, then that's what we're going to have to do. That's the price of knowing the truth, okay?"  
  
Jeremy nodded as she turned back to staring at Matt's door, "Okay. Doesn't mean we have to like it."  
  
Aella whirled round at him, eyes angry, "You think I like this Jeremy? You think I was happy to have a dying girl in my arms as she cried out her brother's name? Do you think I like having lie to everyone just to keep them safe?"  
  
Jeremy was in shock, Aella had lightly berated him in the past, but she had never been angry at him, but he could also see the hurt in her eyes at his words, "I'm sorry Aella... I didn't think."  
  
Aella laughed sarcastically, "Well maybe you should start thinking before you say anything from now on Jer." She was silent, glaring at Matt's door again, "And what the hell takes so long to look around a house?" Jeremy didn't answer her, and she stewed for another minute until she opened up the door grumbling how long Matt was taking.   
  
She got halfway to the house when the door flew open, and Matt ran out of the house, a piece of paper in hand, and tears running down his face. Aella frowned and ran over to the blonde teenager, "Matt?"  
  
Matt's eyes met her, and he let out a sob, moving the letter in his hand towards her, "She's left Aella." Aella skimmed through the letter as Matt let out another sob as he fell to the floor and Aella took hold of him and fell with him, holding him close, "She's left me like everyone else."   
  
**MYSTIC FALLS POLICE STATION**  
  
Liz Forbes had the mindset of the rest of Mystic Falls when Matt Donovan called her that Vicki Donovan had run off, only this time she had left quite an emotive note. She was very happy to tell Matt that if Vicki left a note and she was, in the eyes of the law, an adult there was nothing she could do, but when her Aella and Jeremy expressed how upset Vicki had looked as she ran into the woods she knew she couldn't just let it be. The dead Mountain Lion that had been found had calmed the town, with the exception of the Town Council, and knowing Vicki had wondered in the precise woods that a group of teenagers, associated with Vicki, that had been found dead less than a week ago, she knew that she had to make a decision fast.   
  
"Where did Vicki say she was going?" Liz asked three teenagers as they sat in her office. Aella sat between the two boys, one of the hands holding Matt's, the other holding onto the chair's arm tight.  
  
"She didn't," Jeremy shrugged, trying to keep his words minimized not to arise suspicion.  
  
"We only know what the letter says Sheriff," Aella went into more detail, nodding to the letter in front of Liz.   
  
"Did she tell you where she was going, Matt? Or even when you last spoke?"  
  
"You mean when we last argued," Matt spat out, glaring at the floor. "Matt: No she didn't say anything to me. She just acted like her being missing for nearly a week as nothing."  
  
Liz frowned, "So how do we know that this isn't just one of those times?"  
  
Matt pointed to the letter, "Because of that. She's never left a note before."  
  
Liz didn't seem to be moved by that, and so Aella leaned forward looking into the Sheriff's eyes, "Because if that were any other teenager in Mystic Falls, Sheriff Forbes, crying hysterically while running into a dark forest, a search party would have been out as soon as we arrived." And then Aella added the one thing that would get Liz moving, "What if it was Caroline, or me?"  
  
Liz stared at Aella for a few moments until she reached over to the phone and pressed a number, it was quiet until the other end was answered and Liz told them, "Call all officers in, we have a missing person and need all hands on deck."   
  
Aella smiled gratefully and mouthed to the Sheriff, 'Thank you."  
  
Aella stood up and pulled Matt up with her, she motioned with her head to Jeremy they were going, and Jeremy stood up too when they left Liz's office Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler, and Elena were waiting. Tyler headed over to Matt and pulled him into a brotherly hug, "Stefan told us what happened, is this real she's not just getting high somewhere."  
  
"No man," Matt pulled away as he accepted a hug from Elena. "Something just doesn't feel right, so they're starting a search."  
  
When Elena and Matt pulled away from each other Caroline pulled him into her arms, tighter because she knew the truth and she also didn't like how long his hug with Elena lasted, "I'm so sorry Matt."  
  
"Don't be," Matt held her tight, breathing in her scent to help calm him a little. "It's not the first time she's run off if your Mom's right and she just ran off, turns out Vicki's just like our mother; I can't count on either of them."   
  
Aella, who now stood holding onto Stefan on the other side of the small room, frowned at his words. She knew he had to go through these emotions to make this all look real, but she hated it. Almost hearing her thoughts, Stefan pulled her closer and kissed her head.  
  
"Should we be out there looking too?" Bonnie looked to everyone as she pulled away from her hug with Matt.   
  
"Yes," Stefan nodded, Aella nodding with him. "Let's make as many people as we know aware."  
  
Caroline pulled out her cell phone, "Well that where my expertise comes in." She turned to Bonnie, Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler, "Tyler, you text all the athletes you have in your contacts, Bonnie, you do the same for the cheerleaders, Jeremy, you contact your weird emo friends and Elena and I can text all our contacts and ask them to tell people."  
  
Matt smiled gratefully at the blonde, who could only blush as she started texting her contacts.  
  
"Why don't we do that while we're driving to the woods?" Aella suggested, and when she saw nods, she pointed to herself and Bonnie, "Stefan can drive my car, and I can drive Bonnie's car while everyone makes contact. Matt, you can come with me."  
  
Everyone started leaving, and Aella was just pulling away from Stefan when he grabbed her arm to stop her, "Wait." Aella knew that look, she had the same face when she listened in on conversations, Stefan motioned with his head to Liz's office and Aella was just about to say the spell to allow her to listen in when Stefan shook his head, and Liz came storming out of her office. Stefan waited until Liz was out of earshot when he looked down at Aella, "She's just informed the Mayor of the search, and he's not happy."  
  
Aella frowned, "Not happy as Mayor, or not happy as part of the Town Council?"  
  
Stefan raised his brow, "What do you think?"  
  
"I really hate that man," Aella growled.  
  
Stefan pulled her to him again and held her tight just for a minute to calm them both before he tugged her towards the exit, "Let's see if Caroline's been able to wrangle people together."  
  
Aella let him pull her along as she smiled for the first time that night, "This is Caroline Forbes your talking about Stefan, that girl can do anything with her cell phone."  
  
**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**  
  
And Aella was right, when the two cars arrived at the first opening, there was already a large group of teens, teachers, and parents standing and waiting for an update. And while Caroline and Tyler took control and updated the group more and more people turned up, it turned Matt's negative mind into a more positive state, while those who were aware of the supernatural secret knew that the hope would be soon crumbled.   
  
Jeremy and Bonnie who were relatively new to this world wondered to themselves how Caroline and Aella could act so positive during this whole drama, and it was Jeremy while walking with Caroline that asked the question, "How can you do this?"  
  
"Do what?" Caroline wondered as she kept an eye on the ground, Stefan had told them that Vicki was laid on the floor and it wasn't apparent until you were literally stood over her.  
  
Bonnie glanced up as Jeremy unknowingly asked what she had been thinking, "You know how this is going to end. How can you lead this and be so vocal if you know this is just going to end badly?"  
  


Caroline was quiet, which made Bonnie uneasy as she knew her blonde friend wasn't usually this contemplative when faced with any question. It took a good few minutes before Caroline looked at the two, "We failed Vicki," the blonde explained and when Bonnie and Jeremy opened their mouths to disagree she held her hand up, "No, we did. We all labeled Vicki as this drug-taking, non-caring, runaway girl that only cared about herself. And it's only been today as she opened up to Aella and Stefan that we realized she was just scared and needed help and we didn't give her that help."

"Not just us, nobody in this town cared enough to just sit her down and listen to her for two minutes. So now it's our time to take that time that we should have given her when she was alive, so that if there is an afterlife she can know we did care and that we're sorry we never took those 2 minutes out of our self-centered lives to just listen." Caroline wasn't interested in their thoughts to what she had just explained and walked a little faster, she knew her thoughts on what this whole search was about, and she wasn't going to let anyone tell her different. 

After a few minutes of walking alone, she realized she may have been a little harsh and turned to see where Jeremy and Bonnie were when she tripped on a branch and landed heavily on something soft. Caroline knew instantly what she had fallen on... more like who, and as she turned her face to look down at where her hands had landed she couldn't help but scream out loud as her eyes met the grey misted eyes of a very dead Vicky Donovan, "Aghhhhhhhhhhh!"  
  
..............................................  
..............................................  
  
Aella and Stefan walked hand in hand as they searched the woods with Tyler and Matt, she knew it was imminent that Vicki was found, so when Stefan's grip tightened in hers, and he stumbled slightly with sadness etched on his face for a brief moment, Aella knew that Vicki had been found. Se did everything she possibly could to stop the sob building in her throat, so she squeezed Stefan's hand back knowing they felt each other feelings clear as day before they carried on walking, knowing any minute the hopeful teen next to them would be told the worst news of his life.   
  
"Matt?"  
  
Time seemed to slow as everyone stopped their steps and turned towards Liz, everyone except Aella and Matt; Aella could only close her eyes tight as the tears started to fall down her face, as Matt froze on the spot as his brain focused on the tone Sheriff Forbes had just called his name in.   
  
"No," Matt whispered to himself, but his group of friends was close enough to hear the desperation in his tone.   
  
When she looked to Matt she could see Liz was now next to him, she too had tears in her eyes, "Matt, I'm so sorry."  
  
"No," Matt declared again pulling away and trying to carry on walking, ignoring the looks of sympathy from the people around him as they realized their search was in vain.   
  
"Matt," Tyler placed his and on his best friends shoulder to try and stop him, tone full of sympathy.  
  
"No!" Matt exclaimed as he shrugged Tyler's hand off and carried on.   
  
Aella looked up to Stefan who had been watching the scene in silence, the guilt burning in his stomach that his brother had caused this devastation. When she heard a sob break from Matt's throat as he shoved Tyler away for the second time, she pushed her guilt away and focused on her friend and rushed over to the boy placing her hands around him and stopping him in his place.   
  
"No, A" Matt exclaimed again, but Aella didn't let go. "Aella, no!" Matt screamed and finally stopped in his spot, and Aella just held him close not saying a word. "No," he finally whispered and looked down to Aella sad eyes, "No, A, she can't be gone."  
  
"I'm so sorry Matt," Aella finally was able to say the words she had wished to speak to him since Vicki died in her arms.   
  
Matt seemed to stop breathing for a minute until his knees buckled and he sobbed out, "No! Not my Vick!"  
  
"I'm sorry Matt," Aella whispered into his hair as he just held her tight sobbing, and calling out his sisters name. "I'm so sorry."


	36. Happy Birthday, Dracula.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

When Stefan returned home in the early hours of November 1st, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep so soon after the emotional night he, and his friends had. Aella had stayed with Matt when the footballer refused to let go of his friend following the confirmation Vicki's body had been found, so Aella, Elena, Caroline, Liz, and Jenna had all gone to the Donovan household hoping to bring some comfort to Matt.

Stefan instantly headed the library, and pulled a specific book from the many bookcases; The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde had always been a favorite, and he hoped it would free him from his brother's actions at least until the sun rose again.

_'I have grown to love secrecy_.' Stefan read, his eyes unconsciously starting to close, '_It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvelous to us._' The book fell from Stefan's hand as the last line resonated in his mind, '_The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides it_.' until the precious book hit the floor with a 'thud,' and woke Stefan from the beginnings of sleep.

Stefan stood picking up the book and stretching the sleep out of his body, he was about to turn to head to bed when a faint female laugh caught his ear. Turning to where the sound originated he knew it wouldn't be Aella or any of her female friends, so Stefan was confused, and Stefan didn't like being confused. Walking through the room he used his hearing to listen for anything suspicious, and when he heard a slight creak his eyes followed his hearing, to an open window with its curtain wafting in and out of the house. When Stefan closed the window he missed the shadow behind him, and when he turned to head out of the room he felt a difference in the air; someone was watching him.

"Damon?"

It was silly to think this was Damon after his behavior the past few days, but Stefan was fresh out of ideas who this could be.

Walking forward he was attacked from behind and pushed onto his front, with his speed he turned himself around only to be landed on, and a familiar face baring her teeth towards him, "Lexi?"

"Hi," Lexi smiled as she used Stefan's shock to help him up, as he questioned why she was in Mystic Falls, in his house. "How could you even ask that?" Lexi questioned, but Stefan answered her question by pulling her close and hugging her tightly.

She always knew we he needed her.

"I missed you."

Lexi just smiled as they pulled away from each other, "Happy Birthday."

..............................................

..............................................

I took the rest of the night to catch up Lexi on the previous night's action, and the new part of his life Lexi had heard about but was excited to meet.

"So where's your girl?" Lexi prodded him on his stomach as they both lounged on his bed "She sounds awesome."

Stefan had to smile, Aella was undoubtedly that, "She's with Matt, well was with Matt. She text that she was heading home to shower and then head asked me to pick her up when I told her you were here."

"She knows about me?" Lexi gasped, usually, she had to wrangle Stefan into introducing her to people he knew.

"She knows a lot more than she should for the short amount of time we've been together," Stefan admitted to his best friend as he sat up. "But she has an aura around her that I know I can tell her anything, and she'll just take it in her stride. She's amazing."

Lexi smiled up at him, she'd never seen Stefan this way even when he spoke of the good moments between him, Damon, and Katherine, "She sounds it, do you have a picture so I'll know what to expect?"

Stefan didn't hesitate to unlock his phone, and show her the picture of Aella that had Lexi grinning immediately, "She beautiful, Stefan."

Stefan pocketed the phone, the same grin on his face as he nodded at her statement, "Inside and out."

Lexi pushed herself off the bed to where she saw a familiar photo laying as she came in the room, "Well that's better than her," Lexi held up the picture of Katherine.

Stefan walked over to his best friend and took the photo from her, laying it back on the table, Aella had been admiring it again before they placed the barrier over Damon, and he had forgotten to put it away, "Aella's nothing like her, and you didn't even know Katherine."

"'Cause if I did I'd kick her ass," Lexi threatened with a smirk as she walked back to the bed, and laying back down. "Little bitch. Speaking of...where's Damon?"

"Inflicting misery somewhere," Stefan shrugged, he was pretty sure Damon was hiding until his next attempt to ruin his life was created. "You gonna be okay here alone? 'Cause I gotta go pick up Aella."

Lexi groaned, "It's not exactly like I can go anywhere. And you and Damon are the only ones with these nifty little daylight rings." She quickly sat up with a cheeky grin on her face, "I have a mood ring from '75! Trade ya?"

"Doesn't work that way and you know it."

"Yeah," the blonde dramatically fell back onto the bed.

"Hey, Lex?" Stefan caught her attention before he left, "I'm really glad that you came here."

Lexi smiled and waved him off, "Go get your girlfriend, I'm desperate to meet her!"

Stefan nodded and walked away as Lexi walked over to her bag of blood taking a small bag out, and sipping it as she wandered over to Stefan's computer currently playing the news, and when she saw the banner at the bottom of the screen, she now understood what Stefan meant by Damon causing trouble. '_Accidental death of local teenager,_' it read and was quick to turn the sound on as the local reporter spoke:

_ **"This is Logan Fell coming to you live from the woods of Mystic Falls with breaking news of a tragic accidental death of one of our very own. The victim has been named as Victoria Donovan, a lifetime resident of Mystic Falls, and a much-loved daughter and sister. Victoria, known to her friends and family as Vicki, was found when a search was conducted by Mystic Falls Police Department and volunteers after Vicky was seen stumbling into the woods looking distraught. It was when looking that Vicki was found. An official cause of death may not be determined for some time since toxicology tests will be required, but authorities are certain that forensic evidence will confirm that this was just a tragic accident." He turned, and the camera zoomed out to include a Liz and Richard stood next to Logan as their names appeared on the bottom of the screen, "I have with me, Sheriff Forbes and Mayor Lockwood; Sheriff how long will it take before an official cause of death can be confirmed?"** _

Lexi had to admit, this town was good at hiding anything to do with vampires, as the Sheriff stood a little straighter once the question was aimed at her.

_ **"Mystic Falls police have opened an investigation into Murphy's death, but the coroner who retrieved Ms. Donovan's body has said that the death was an accident, but has to follow procedures before he can officially make that statement."** _

_ **"And Mayor Lockwood," Logan raised his microphone to Richard, "Any words to Vicki Donovan's family, and the people of Mystic Falls?"** _

_ **"I pass on the condolences of myself, and my family to the family of Victoria Donovan, this town is one big family, when we lose a member we all have to come together."** _

"-Admiring my work?"

Lexi rolled her eyes as Damon came to annoy her again, she had already threatened him once, why was he bothering her still? Lexi muted the following news report and turned to Damon ready to give him another piece of her mind before Stefan and Aella returned.

**MYSTIC FALLS WOODS**

"-this town is one big family, when we lose a member, we all have to come together."

Logan turned from Richard and spoke back to the camera, "This is Logan Fell reporting from woods of Mystic Falls on a sad day, back to you in the studio... Cut!"

Mike, his cameraman nodded once Logan was off the air and removed himself from the big pot of tension growing from the three occupants.

Richard was biting at the bit to give Logan and Liz a piece of his mind, and when the cameraman was far enough away he did just that, "This could have been avoided if you hadn't been so stupid, and had gotten the watch!"

Liz was offended by that statement, "We don't know if this could have Richard, anything can happen when vampires are around."

Logan nodded slowly at her statement, "Which is why the town should be made aware of what is happening."

Richard and Liz looked at him as though he grew horns, "Are you kidding me right now?" Richard laughed without any humor, "That is the last thing we're going to do, and any more of that thinking and you can guarantee the only thing you'll be reporting on is cats getting stuck up trees and a rise in video game sales, you hear me?"

"Yes," Logan mumbled and watched Richard storm off.

Liz looked to her fellow council member and patted his shoulder, "Ignore him, he needs you as much as you need him."

"People need to know Liz," Logan whispered as he watched fellow students, members of the community laying flowers at the opening of the woods.

Liz knew he was right, but couldn't tell him that, "We'll speak soon," and with a pat on the shoulder, she left too while Logan wondered if it was all worth it.

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Tyler stirred his drink as he watched the news repeat the same story for the 5th time in just that one hour, seeing the same pathetic look on his father's face as he tried to portray sadness on the death of Vicki.

God, he hated him.

He had been with Matt all morning while Jenna, Caroline, Elena fussed over Matt until he couldn't take the silence from his best friend anymore and walked out. And now he was here, watching other people go on with their day as if it was any other day.

"_Hi Tyler, You wanna throw a party here at the grill tonight?_"

Tyler wanted to wrap his hands around the person who asked him, and jumped off his seat to face Stefan's brother, Damon, his body shaking in anger, "Look man, I know your new to town, but today is not the bes-" Damon only smirked as his eyes compelled the angry teen, "Hey man, how are you?"

Damon loved being able to compel, "Much better. You wanna throw a party here at the grill tonight?"

"In celebration of Vicki's life?" Tyler asked without a second to think, and Damon could have hugged him.

Maybe not.

Damon was sure Tyler would be an idiot, and mess this up, but he was the only one alone, close to Stefan, and not on vervain, "Excellent. "I need a lot of people. Big crowd. Invite everyone."

Tyler pulled his phone out and glanced up at Damon between texting, "That's one thing I can always do."

"Perfect," Damon practically sang before leaving the spoilt teen to organize a party.

**GILBERT HOUSEHOLD**

"Hey beautiful," Stefan greeted Aella as he walked into the Gilbert Household, pulling her into a tight hug that Aella only made tighter.

"Hi," She muffled into his neck as she took in his delicious scent. When she pulled away, she smiled at him softly, "Hi."

Stefan pushed away a stray hair that had fallen from her messy bun when she hugged him, "How are you? How's Matt."

Aella held his hand close to her face before he could retract it, and just closed her eyes taking in a deep breath before looking back to her boyfriend, and letting go, "Matt is devastated, wouldn't anyone?" She moved towards the kitchen and Stefan followed without question.

"And you?" He questioned again, not missing that she hadn't updated him on herself, and looked exhausted. He leaned against the kitchen doorway as she walked over to the counter and faced away from him.

"I'm okay," Aella shrugged her attention on something that Stefan couldn't see. "But forget about me-" she turned before Stefan could object to that, and in her hand was a cupcake with a single lit candle "-let's be happy for a little while." She walked to Stefan who now had an embarrassed smile on his face, "Now I'm not going to go all crazy singing the birthday song from one of the best movies ever created, but you've '_earned it_,' and '_dessert is free_.' So Happy Birthday... TO YOU! Make a wish."

Stefan stared through the fire of the candle at Aella, as some of that Aella light returned to her eyes, and if it meant celebrating his birthday just for that light to return, then he would. And when he blew out his candle, causing a little giggle to erupt from Aella, he wished that he would be able to listen to that giggle for forever and a day. "Thank you."

Aella waved him off as she returned the cupcake to the counter, and pulled the candle out placing it on the bench. When she reached over to pull some paper towards her to write a note for Jeremy she felt Stefan's arms wrap themselves around her.

"I mean it," Stefan muttered against her neck sending shivers down her entire body. "Thank you."

Aella finished writing Jeremy the note that the cupcake was his if he emptied the dishwasher, then turned in his arms to face her smiley boyfriend and wrapped her arms around his neck without thought. She leaned forward, placing her face an inch from his as she whispered, "Happy Birthday, Dracula."

He took advantage of her close proximity, and he leaned forward to kiss her, drawing her even closer to his robust and warm frame. After a long moment, she pulled away with a giggle, cheeks happily flushed she pulled away.

"I want to meet Lexi," and before her left foot hit the ground heading towards the door, he was already there, wrapping an arm around her waist to accompany her out.

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

As Stefan pulled up outside his house, Aella turned from the window she had been staring out in a comfortable silence since they left her home. Stefan reached to open the door when Aella placed her hands in his stopping him, "I need to tell you something before we go in," she admitted when Stefan rose a brow at her.

Stefan worried, "If it's too soon to meet Lexi after what happened with Vicki I com-"

"-No," Aella chuckled as her hand stopped him from talking, he was so cute when he worried. "Caroline and her mom stopped in at the station on their way home from Matt's, and Damon was there."

Stefan instantly became worried again, any conversation that involved Damon at the moment was the instant reaction to any of their group of friends who knew everything, "What did he want?"

Aella felt slightly sick, and it began to show on her face, "The council now believe that the vampires in town are daywalkers, and they're starting to become extra vigilant."

"And Damon?"

"Liz asked Damon to keep an eye open for anyone that could be considered suspicious..." Aella swallowed hard as she revealed the next part, "or new to town," Stefan's eyes widened at that, "and he seemed very keen to help according to Caroline."

"Lexi," Stefan nodded, now realizing why Aella was so upset.

"Lexi," Aella nodded with him.

Stefan thought over the news before nodding again, and looking back to Aella who held his hand as worry formed on her face, "We keep an eye on Damon, and just play it cool around Lexi. She knows Damon, she can handle Damon."

Aella lightly chuckled, "Well from what you've told me about her, she can handle most things."

The two got out of the car, and as Aella walked round to meet Stefan, who's hand merged with hers without thinking twice, he smirked down at her, "She's never met Aella Bennett before."

Aella giggled as she let go of his hand and wrapped it around his waist as he led them to the house, "You know me so well."

They stepped up to the door when it was flung open, and Lexi stood beside it with hands on hips, "Finally! It took you two forever to leave the car-" her eyes glistened with mischief "-were you two having sex?"

Stefan and Aella's mouths dropped, but for two separate reasons, and before Stefan could tell Lexi off in shock, Aella stepped forward and pulled Lexi into a tight hug, "Oh my god I love you!"

Lexi responded with a squeeze to Aella then pulled away and dragging her into the house, "You didn't blush at the sex question, which means you have had sex, which means you have to spill..."

Stefan remained at the door for a few seconds, mouth still wide open, he knew by now he shouldn't have been surprised by anything Aella, and Lexi did, but he was. He stepped into the house and closed the door as he muttered to himself, "Aella meet my best friend Lexi, Lexi meet my girlfriend, Aella..."


	37. You met Bon Jovi without me!

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

It was an hour later, when Stefan delivered Aella a cup of coffee, that he was able to talk to his girlfriend, and best friend. The two had been non-stop talking, and giggling which startled Stefan; If there were two things Aella, and Lexi didn't do much of it was gossiping and giggling.

Aella was laid on his bed laughing hysterically while Lexi explained when Lee, her sire/partner, realized just how old Lexi was.

Stefan got on the bed, and instantly Aella moved so she was laid against his chest, smiling gratefully through her giggles for the coffee, as Lexi continued on,

"-he continued asking questions, and then he asked about the American Revolution, and I casually just mention there was this gentleman that I loved riding horses with at his Mount Vernon estate."

"No!" Aella laughed loudly, almost spilling her coffee.

"Yes!" Lexi confirmed, nodding her head vigorously as she laughed along with her new friend.

Stefan smiled at the laughter, Lexi had told him this story a few years after it happened, and it still made her laugh hysterically.

"What did Lee say?" Aella asked once her giggles had subsided, and she could drink her coffee again.

Lexi was quiet as she composed herself, but Stefan could see the glint in her eyes, "' YOU KNEW GEORGE FUCKING WASHINGTON!'"

This time Aella really did spit out the small amount of coffee in her mouth, as Lexi's voice deepened as she mimicked Lee, "Oh my god!"

"I know!" Lexi wheezed from her bent position due to laughing so much.

When Lexi was able to calm down, she wandered over to her suitcase pulling out a small red bag, as Aella wiped herself, the bed, and a little of Stefan while he just looked on amused, so amused Aella gave him a small whack to the arm that he laughed off. It wasn't until he heard plastic tear, and the metallic smell of blood in the air did his eyes leave Aella and focus on Lexi, who was casually drinking from a blood bag.

Lexi saw his eyes narrow and held out the bag to him, "Want some?"

Aella felt Stefan's whole demeanor change when he smelt that blood, and Aella didn't like it one bit. This was the Stefan she had met two months ago, not the Stefan she had just been relaxing with. Aella knew of Stefan's struggles with blood, but she'd never seen it in person, but she knew Lexi had. Many times.

"No," Stefan politely shook his head and sat up straight on the bed, but still, his body never left Aella's, it was like she was comfort blanket between him and the blood. "Thank you."

It was almost Lexi could feel Stefan's judgment, "Relax I didn't kill anyone for it. This phlebotomist I went out with a few times, he's my supplier."

Both Aella and Stefan rose their eyebrows, just for different reasons, but Lexi only saw Stefan's, "Oh, don't judge, okay? Listen, I tried the animal diet; it lasted three weeks."

Lexi finished the bag, and Stefan felt he could finally metaphorically breathe again, unaware that he hadn't taken in another breath since he smelled the blood the first time, but Aella did. She had always found comfort that when she leaned against Stefan, their breathing was still in sync, even if Stefan didn't really need to, so she knew right away that he had stopped breathing, even if he knew it or not.

Stefan pulled away from Aella, and started messing about his room as he waved away Lexi's excuse, "It doesn't matter. Cause if I started again...I just don't know if..."

Aella's eyes watered as she heard the desperation in her boyfriend's tone when he didn't finish his sentence, and when Lexi finished for him, she could always see the disappointment radiating off him. As for Aella, this conversation only created more unanswered questions she knew Stefan wouldn't be able to share at the moment, but as she watched Lexi comfort Stefan with her kind words, she knew Lexi would be able to explain some things.

Aella took a sip of her coffee as new questions rattled in her brain; Why did Stefan become a ripper? Was there any way to prevent him from becoming a ripper? What were the events leading up to Stefan being a Ripper? Was there a trigger? Would Stefan ever be able to drink human blood without worrying about becoming a Ripper?

More and more questions formed that Aella thought it best she get a book and start writing them down when Lexi clapped, smile back on her beautiful face, "What are we doing tonight?"

_"Funny you should ask."_

Aella groaned and fell back on the bed as Damon sauntered in the room like nothing the previous night had anything to do with him. Lexi was about to tell Damon to get lost, or something in that nature when Damon was flung back in the air back out into the corridor, and Stefan's door slammed shut.

In shock and awe, Lexi's eyes turned automatically from the door to the only person with powers in the room. Aella was now standing glaring at the spot when Damon had just been stood, hand held out to the door. Damon groaned, and it seemed like that was all Aella needed because her smile was back on her face, and as soon as she jumped back onto Stefan's bed, her coffee was back in her hand.

Lexi's wide eyes turned to Stefan, who looked at her pointedly with a small smirk on his face. He had spoken about Aella's powers a little and had suggested she was powerful, but to throw a vampire as old as Damon with little to no strain and then casually sit back down was no easy feat.

"I'm taking that gesture as a 'you're still mad' gesture," Damon groaned from behind the door before he opened it, but didn't take a step into the room.

"You think, Damon!" Aella got up from the bed, and Lexi had to snicker when Damon unconsciously took a step back as the small brunette approached him. "You killed Vicki.. twice!"

When Lexi looked up at Stefan to gauge his reaction to Aella approaching Damon, she thought she'd see anxiety, but instead, she saw humor as his petite girlfriend had his elder brother a little scared.

Damon shrugged, his mouth speaking before his brain could catch up, "I made her, I can break her."

Aella eyes widened at his gall, "You're not Geppetto!"

Damon groaned out loud, turning to Aella, "You never get tired of being so blandly moral, do you?"

"No, Damon," She shrugged, pursing her lips in her own annoyance. "It's called being human and having a conscience, you know, two things you will never be or have... ever!"

Stefan knew the two would go round and round in circles with insults and stepped forward to separate the two, "Okay, guys, that's enough."

Damon smirked while Aella continued to glare, "Thank you brother,-" he leaned round Aella to Lexi "-There's a party at the grill. You'll love it. Banquettes, Tacky wait staff, All of Stefan's friends."

"Party?" Aella and Stefan questioned in sync, then asked again:

"**I don't want a Birthday party."**

**"The day after Vicki was killed?**"

Damon chose to ignore Aella, and shrugged at Stefan's predictability, "Well, It's not for you. It's a party party. No ones gonna know it's your birthday. Tyler's throwing it."

**"-Tyler?" **

**"-Tyler?"**

Damon rolled his eyes as the couple talked in sync again. "Is this a permanent thing?" he gestured between the two. "Because it's getting a tad annoying."

Aella took a step forward with her arms crossed and her eyes dark, and it took everything in Damon not to take a step back, "Tyler is throwing a party party the day after his ex-girlfriend has died? When did you even meet Tyler?"

"It's a celebration party of Vicki's life," Damon admitted, pretending to be sad. "Tyler wanted to do it, and I said I'd help. And we're friends. It's cool." Damon looked past the witch back to Lexi, and Stefan, who too looked skeptical, "It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend."

Aella and Stefan looked to each other at these words, was this all a part of Damon's plan? But Lexi, not in on what Caroline had told Aella, jumped at the chance to party with her best boy friend, and new best girl friend, "Let's go, please?"

Stefan looked between a pleading Lexi, a smirking Damon, and an unsure Aella; he and Aella knew Damon was up to something, so that was in their favor, and if Lexi was around him and his girlfriend and they always had their eye on Damon, he supposed they could go out.

Lexi sensing his hesitation, jumped over to Aella, and wrapped her arm around her, "I wanna party with the two of you, tell him Aella."

Aella was silent for a moment, but when she spoke to Stefan, he knew she was on the same wavelength as him, "I suppose if it's a celebration of life, it would be good to go to, plus _everyone _will be there."

When Stefan nodded and agreed, Lexi jumped on the spot while Damon smiled falsely, "That's gre-" Aella didn't give him time to say much more and slammed the door in his face for the second time, this time with her own two hands.

Lexi laughed at the small witch, "I love that you can do that to him."

Aella shrugged, but couldn't help but smile at the blonde's delight at partying. Lexi ran to her bag, and pulled out a toiletry bag before running to the door Aella had just closed on Damon's face, she opened the door. She looked back to Aella and Stefan, who had moved next to his girlfriend, smiling at the blonde, "This is going to be so much better than us partying with Bon Jovi again! I'm having a shower!"

Aella giggled as Lexi ran to the bathroom until her new friend's words rang in her head, "Wait, Bon Jovi?" Aella turned her wide eyes up to her boyfriend, who held his hands up as Aella realized he had met one of her heroes and had forgotten to mention it, "Bon Jovi?"

"It was one time," Stefan shrugged and walked over to his desk and tidying up as Aella followed him.

"Bon Jovi?" Aella question again, now more desperately.

Stefan looked up from tidy, a way to not look at Aella, "Jon probably wouldn't even remember us."

"Jon?" Aella whimpered as Stefan dug himself deeper and deeper.

"I'm going to get you some more coffee," Stefan nodded to himself as he quickly made his way out of his room and down the stairs just to hear Aella shout as she followed him, "**_You met Bon Jovi without me!_**"

Lexi laughed to herself as she heard Stefan running away from Aella, "_It was before you were born!_"

"_Excuses_!"

As she turned the shower on, Lexi chuckled, "She's so good for him."

..............................................

..............................................

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Lexi ran into Stefan's bedroom, towel tightly wrapped around her naked body, and hair piled high with a clip that prevented it from getting wet in the shower, "I'm almost ready."

She prepared for the lecture from Stefan about being _on time_ for plans, so she was concerned when the reprimand didn't come, she turned to see the bedroom empty. Using her advanced hearing, she finally located the couple and chuckled when she heard Stefan _still_ apologizing to Aella.

"I am so sorry," Stefan followed Aella around the kitchen counter as she played on her phone, and drinking her coffee as she 'strolled' round and round the counter. In actual fact, she was doing everything she could to ignore the puppy dog eyes he was presenting her.

"If he does a concert nearby, we'll go, and I'll compel everyone to get us backstage," Stefan pleaded, walking slightly faster to overtake her and hopefully catch her by surprise so she'd look up at him catching the face he pulled. A face that she had always forgiven in the past. But Aella knew her boyfriend well, and instead of stopping in the spot, she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

"Not just backstage!" Stefan declared and started following her again. "You wanna marry him?"

That made Aella stop as she turned to him confused, an eyebrow raised, "He's already married."

Stefan poked her nose playfully, happy she was at least looking and speaking to him, "Not if he doesn't remember his wife."

Aella desperately tried not to smile as Stefan tried anything to get back on her good side; he was so cute, "That's really nice, Stefan, but no."

She walked away, and Stefan stood confused for a moment before he followed her out of the kitchen towards the staircase, "Why not?"

Aella stopped on the 2nd stair and turned to Stefan; they were once the same height, Aella leaned forward and stroked her boyfriend's cheek as she smiled softly at him, "Call me crazy, but I happen to be very much in love with you to marry anyone, even Bon Jovi."

Stefan imagined himself fist-pumping the air as Aella confessed her love for him, feeling bold he took a step forward onto the first stair so their heights were once again unequal and he caressed Aella's cheek back, just as he was about to kiss her lips softly Aella's finger stopped his lips in their place, "But I still don't forgive you."

She turned to head up the stairs when Stefan had enough and instead sped his arms around his girlfriend and threw her over his shoulders, smirking as her stunned features quickly morphed into a scowl as she shouted her complaints.

Lexi had just pulled on her top when the duo walked in, well, Stefan with Aella over his shoulder walked in, and Lexi had to smile at their cuteness.

Aella complained as Stefan told her he'd let her down when she forgave him... but even through her tough demeanor, Lexi could see the smile fighting to show itself on Aella's face as she moaned about her boyfriend.

"Stefan, my head is going numb!"

"Forgive me!"

"Blood is rushing to my head! That's what happens when you're alive!"

"Forgive me."

As Aella had done in the kitchen, walking around without reason to ignore Stefan, Stefan now did in his bedroom to Aella as Lexi watched on as she brushed her hair down.

"Fine!" Aella declared, although words slightly slurred from being upside down for so long. "I forgive you!"

Stefan set her down instantly with a bright smile as Aella continued to scowl, although anyone with eyes could see she was struggling to keep that in place as Stefan stroked her cheek again, "See that wasn't so difficult."

Aella just pulled a face at him and walked over to his closet, where a few her clothes were now stored, the same with Stefan at her place. Stefan watched her a few more seconds, his features full of happiness, then turned to Lexi who had seen the happiness on her best friends face... a look, not even close, to the one she had only seen when he was high on blood in full-on Ripper mode.

Her thoughts on that time at the front of her mind when Stefan looked to her, "You Okay?

Lexi chuckled with a nod, then motioned to her towel-wrapped-body, "I'm a little behind... that shower was amazing!"

Aella walked over to the and her false scowl switch to a blinding smile, new clothes in hand, "I know, right?! I could kick Stefan out just to have that shower!"

Stefan frowned down to Aella, "What?"

Aella grinned cheekily, "Oh Stefan..." She patted his arm in comfort, "I said, 'could.'"

Lexi laughed out loud at the petite beauty, "I am seriously falling in love with you."

Aella smirked at the blonde and tapped her hip to hers, "Right back at you, babe!" But instead of walking away to the glorious shower as her hip pulled away from Lexi's, she let out a loud gasp as she was pulled away from her boyfriend, his best friend, and his room.

_ **Only to open her eyes and realize she was now outside, and when she heard the leaves crunching underneath her shoes and the wind rustling the trees, she realized she was outside.** _

_ **Looking around she heard rustling, and instead of running away from the creepy rustling in the woods Aella headed towards the sound, but as she pushed herself through a series of very bushy trees she did not expect to see a) her boyfriend kneeling on the ground or b) him feasting on the neck of a very dead soldier.** _

_ **"Stefan?"** _

Unaware that Aella was in the middle of a vision Stefan sat down at his desk and questioned Lexi as she walked over to him,

"Are you sure we should go to this thing?"

Lexi groaned out loud, wanting to strangle her best friend, "It's not like I'm asking you to run outside midday without your ring. I mean, seriously, it's a party."

Stefan raised her brow, did she know his brother! "A party that Damon wants us to go to, you know? So my question is, why? I think he's up to something."

"Who cares?" Lexi shrugged. "What can he possibly of all those people in a public place? Anyway-" Lexi walked over to Aella, she and Stefan not realizing Aella hadn't moved from her spot since they began speaking. Lexi bumped her side into Aella's playfully, "-my girl here can sort out Damon, right, Aella?"


	38. Naked!?

_ ** Stefan's head shot up, and Aella froze in shock that Stefan had heard her until another rustling sound came from behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she could see a hooded figure kneeling and feeding a bowl of something to another soldier. When she stood, Aella was able to recognize the blonde as one of her newest friends and Stefan's best friend, but when she looked to Stefan, she could only see confusion, and Aella realized that this was the very moment the two best friends met. ** _

_ S**tefan stood, and when Aella looked back to Lexi, she was gone, and the soldier was now holding his bowl. Stefan followed Lexi, and Aella followed Stefan.** _

_ ** Stefan had never really revealed to her the first moment he had met Lexi, only that he was already in Ripper mode, and she had helped him. What Aella wasn't expecting as she and Stefan stepped into a clearing was for the two of them play their version of Tom and Jerry until Lexi pinned Stefan to the floor and gowled down at him, face in full on vamp mode: ** _

_ ** "What kind of an idiot are you?" ** _

_ ** But before Aella could hear Stefan's response, the scenery started moving, and as different scenes started appearing before her, it was like she was stuck in a zoetrope. ** _

_ ** Lexi realizing what Stefan was: ** _

_ ** "My God, you're a ripper." ** _

_ **Stefan looked at her, confused: "A what?"** _ _   
_

_ ** Lexi looked fascinated rather than scared, "There are good parts of being a vampire, and there are bad parts. You're the bad parts. Well...we're going to have to change that." ** _

_ ** Stefan realizing that he had unknowingly turned off his humanity and had become the ripper due to this: ** _

_ ** Lexi and Stefan walked through the woods again, "All of these men are dead or dying. What does that make you feel?" ** _

_ ** "Nothing. I feel nothing." ** _

_ ** "Because you shut out the part of you that was human. The part that lets you feel." ** _

_ ** But it was the final scene that really started to confuse Aella when she realized Damon Salvatore was all talk: ** _

_ ** She was now in a house and heard footsteps on the stairs when she looked up and saw a curly-haired Damon walking down them with a bag she made her way to the stairs when a voice stopped her and Damon, ** _

_ ** "Going somewhere?" ** _

_ ** "You must be the vampire I hear my brother complaining about." ** _

_ ** Aella walked to when Damon stopped at an open doorway when she saw Lexi dressed in Victorian clothes, and had to smirk when Lexi dropped into a small curtsey, "That would be me. And you must be the brother who hates him." ** _

_ ** Damon put his suitcase down as Lexi made her way over to him, Aella took her place next to Lexi and could see the hurt in Damon's eyes at her words. He seemed to struggle with how to explain their relationship to the new person in Stefan's life, "We are at irreparable odds." ** _

_ ** "You know the hate you're feeling towards Stefan? Towards everyone? You think you have it under control, but you don't. It will get the best of you." ** _

_ ** Aella could have sworn she saw tears in Damon's eyes and used the excuse to pick up his bag to clear the mist quickly, but as he straightened himself and looked into Lexi's eyes, Aella heard the love for his brother in his words. ** _

_ **"Help him," he almost whispered at first but strengthened his voice. "He needs it."** _ _   
_

_ ** "I'll help him." ** _

Lexi frowned when she got no answer from Aella, not even a reaction to her slight bump, "Aella?" 

Stefan looked up from his journal when he heard the concern in the voice of his best friend, and the name of his girlfriend all rolled into one. "Aella?" He asked, but just when Lexi was about to step in front of Aella, the brunette girl gasped and met the concerned eyes of her newest friend.

"You okay, Aella?"

Aella looked over at Stefan and moved her gaze away from him to Lexi before he could see the familiar sign of a vision on her features and strained a smile to the blonde with a slight chuckle, "Absolutely, just remembered I have to text the girls about tonight."

Stefan was not convinced, "Are you sure?"

"Yes," She nodded but did not look back over at him, and Stefan's suspicion grew... had she seen something about tonight? Aella pointed to the door, "I'm going to go shower."

Aella rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door closed, locking the door before leaning on the door, breathing heavily. Taking in the vision she had just been through, Aella realized two things; she had unofficially met The Ripper, and Damon didn't hate his brother as much as he wanted everyone to think. This was something Aella was going to take advantage of significantly.

When Aella left the room, Lexi turned to Stefan with her own brow raised, "Well, that wasn't strange at all!"

Stefan only nodded in agreement and made a deal with himself that he would speak to Aella before they left for the party... a strange-er Aella was never a good thing.

**GROUP CHAT**

**Aella: Awful timing but it's Stefan's birthday and his BFF Lexie is here and wants to celebrate. Are you in?**

**Caroline: Yes! After yesterday we need 2 do anything 2 ger r minds off that!.**

**Bonnie: Count me in!**

**Elena: Me 2! Matt has even told me 2 go & have fun 4 him.**

**Aella: Bless (cry emoji) Tell him I love him!**

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE** **** ****

Aella rushed around Stefan's bedroom, putting her phone, lip gloss, and wallet into her bag as she updated Stefan and Lexi about the girls, "The girls are in, Matt even greenlit the event."

Lexi brushed powder on her face, as she sat on Stefan's bed, before looking to Aella with sorrow in her eyes, "Stefan told me what happened... Damon strikes again."

"My exact point!" Stefan sighed as he finished updating his journal and put it to one side, "Damon, who just invited us to a party-" he looked to Aella in mock disappointment "-I can't believe YOU actually think that we should go to this thing.

Aella held up her hands immediately at the judgment, dropping her purse to the ground and swearing to himself as the items she just put in spilled out, she got to her knees and started recollecting the items, "Hey! I only supported. Don't judge the supporter."

Lexi smirked at the brunette as she stood from the bed and shot a playful glare at Stefan, "Leave her alone! It's not like I'm asking you to run outside midday without your ring. I mean, seriously, it's a party."

Stefan sighed and looked to both girls, who now stood side by side, "A party that Damon wants us to go to, you know? So my question is, why? I think he's up to something."

Aella had to agree with her boyfriend and held up her hand, looking between the two, "Yeah, I gotta agree. Happy Damon does not make me feel safe."

Lexi shook her head at the two, "Who cares?" She looked to Aella, pulling her arm down, "What can he possibly do in front of all those people in a public place?"

Aella snorted, "Is this the same Damon Salvatore we're talking about?"

And Stefan had to agree with her, "He knows how to keep a low profile, believe me."

"Okay, so he'll behave," Lexi shrugged and walked over to Stefan, a pout on her lips, "Come on. One day a year, I get you, one day, and we're going to have fun."

Aella had to give it to the blonde; she certainly knew how to persuade Stefan without using her gorgeous body, Aella was seriously going to start taking notes soon.

Stefan tried to ignore his best friends pout and look to Aella in mock confusion, "It's my birthday, yeah?"

Aella only frowned at his words, did he really think he had a choice in this, "Aaaaand?"

Lexi giggled at Aella's answer and clapped at Stefan, "It's my day. And that guy that jumped naked in the Trevi fountain and got drunk on the torch of the Statue of Liberty, that guy can take a break from all of his worryings for one night and go to a stupid party. So quit your whining-" she hit his butt, making her way back to the bed where her purse lay "-and go get ready."

It only took a few seconds for Aella to take in Lexi's words before she quickly turned her head to the blonde, "Wait, what?! Trevi Fountain?"

"Naked!" Lexi declared with an evil laugh when Stefan groaned at more ammo she'd given his girlfriend.

"Naked!?" Aella spun back to Stefan, eyebrows high and eyes wide. "Naked?!"

Stefan clapped his hands and quickly walked out of the room before he could be questioned anymore, passing a sudden glare at a grinning Lexi as he left the room, "Fine, let's go."

Lexi proudly smirked at the gaping witch, "The Trevi fountain always does the trick."

Aella waiting just one whole second before she ran after Stefan shouting questions to him as she tried to catch up, "Can we go back to the fountain thing? Stefan? Stefan? Don't ignore me, Stefan!"

Lexi chuckled to herself as she checked her makeup in her small mirror, "Man, she is awesome!"

**MYSTIC GRILL**

As soon as Lexi was introduced to Caroline, and Bonnie by Aella, she knew that the night was going to be epic! It didn't take long for the four girls to get onto the dance floor as Stefan watched with a broad smile from his place looking after all their drinks.

Lexi threw her head back and laughed in joy as she felt the beat of the music go through her body, looking to her new friend on her right dancing so sultry so didn't miss her best friend's eyes dilate with a different type of hunger. Pulling the brunette closer to her, the two girls automatically started dancing together as Lexi shouted just over the music, "I am seriously in love with you, Aella Bennett!"

Aella giggled as she pulled the blonde in for a hug, "I love you too, Lexi Branson!"

"Hey!" Aella pulled away to look to Caroline as the blonde screeched towards the two of them, she and Bronnie pouting, "Where's our love?"

Aella 'ahhhed' at the pouts and pulled her best friend and cousin into hers and Lexi's love huddle. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted Stefan smiling at the four of them and knew he needed to be apart of their huddle... after all he was the birthday boy.

Aella slipped away from the girls and jumped into Stefan's waiting arms and pecked him on the lips as soon as his grip tightened. Stefan kissed her few a few seconds before gently placing her down.

Stefan smirked at her, "Have you and Lexi finished declaring your love for each other?"

"Why?" Aella raises a brow at him as she smirked, "Jealous?"

Stefan's arms tightened around as he pretended to think over her question before sarcastically asking, "I don't know, should I be?"

Aella kissed his lips, and as she pulled only centimeters away, she cheekily whispered, "Most definitely."

Stefan playfully growled and pulled her in for another kiss. When they pulled away Aella was now looking a little flushed, she pulled back, breaking Stefan's hold on her, only to take hold of his hands and pull him towards the dance floor, "Dance with us."

Stefan halted their movement quite easily as he shook his head, "No way."

"Yes way," Aella grinned, pulling on Stefan's hands again, but he wasn't budging.

Stefan was about to tell her no again when his best friend encouraged him over, an encouragement that only got louder when Caroline, Bonnie, and Aella joined in.

"C'mon Stefan!"

Stefan allowed his posture to relax enough for Aella to pull him towards the dance floor, which caused the girls all to cheer. When they joined the group, they all started dancing in their own little circle, but Lexi was quick to spot zero dancing coming from her best friend:

"Okay, I'm gonna need a little more foot movement," teased the blonde.

Stefan shook his head as Aella grinned at his uncomfortableness, "Yeah, not really interested in making a fool out of myself."

Caroline scoffed at his comment and pointed to Aella, "All your girlfriend does is make a fool out of herself, Daily!"

Stefan looked to Aella at Caroline's dig, but his girlfriend only nodded her head proudly, "Yes, I am!"

Lexi smirked at the two best friends and tried to help Stefan move his feet with some rhythm, "Come on, you're not that bad."

"Do me a favor?" Stefan asked when he finally started dancing with their group, but still looked around suspiciously, "Tell me if you see Damon with his camera phone."

Bonnie smirked as she held her own phone up, "No need." And the group laughed as Stefan groaned out loud, unaware of the brunette who had walked into the Grill and stared at the group with envy.

Elena had never felt jealousy with her friends. They all were the best friends with her and Bonnie being closer, and Aella and Caroline being closer, but together they were a force to be reckoned with; until Stefan Salvatore entered Mystic Falls. Since he arrived it seemed that Aella, Caroline, and Bonnie had grown closer with Stefan while she was slowly being left out... well, that's what it felt like. Watching the group dance with the mystery blonde, who she assumed was Lexi, jealousy was bubbling in her stomach as they danced and laughed away - even Stefan was laughing more than she'd seen.

She was staring intently at the group she missed the smirking face of Damon as he sauntered over to her:

"So, a horse walks into a bar." Elena spun quickly to look at Damon, who carried on with his joke, "The bartender says, "So, why the long face?"

Elena wasn't amused, "Are you calling me a horse?"

Damon chuckled and leaned next to her on the banister overlooking the dance floor, "Are you denying having a long face?"

Elena didn't answer and turned back to staring at the group, Damon followed her eyes and suddenly realized why she wasn't looking so cheerful, "Ahhhhh, feeling a little left out?"

Elena snarled at his tone, hating that he had recognized what she was feeling and how he was probably feeling pretty smug right now, "I just feel like everyone seems to be keeping something from me."

Damon didn't say anything for once, he wasn't ready for her to look at him in fear or hatred when she did learn of his true identity, and instead held out his glass to her, "Bourbon?"

Elena raised a brow, "I'm 17.

..............................................

..............................................

**MYSTIC GRILL**

When Aella spun to the music and spotted Elena on the outskirts of the dance floor, her smile dimmed when she saw who Elena was talking with. She was about to head over to the brunette when she realized Lexi should probably be warned or be shocked at how similar Elena and Katherine looked, and she pulled on the blonde's arm. She brought her mouth close to Lexi's ear as the vampire frowned why they were no longer dancing, "Pre-warning, Elena has just arrived and his talking to Damon."

Lexi nodded and pulled back, smiling gratefully at Aella for the heads up, looking over Aella's shoulder. Lexi's eyes went wide as she stared at Katherine's doppelgänger, even knowing the two looked alike didn't help at all when she looked at Elena, "Oh my God! How...uh- wh-...Trippy!"

Aella laughed and nodded as Lexi stuttered out her thoughts, Lexi laughed and pulled Aella out of the group and towards the bar, "Just for that, I need a drink.".

..............................................

..............................................

Tyler and Jeremy were playing pool and laughing at Stefan trying to dance with the girls when Matt showed up, the two boys immediately set their cues down and stepped towards their grieving friend.

"What are you doing here, man?" Tyler asked when he and Matt pulled away from their hug.

Matt finished his hug with Jeremy before looking to Tyler, and sighing heavily, "I couldn't stay in that house anymore." He looked around the packed Grill and smiled thankfully at his best friend, "Thanks for bringing everyone together for Vicki, though."

Tyler only smiled politely while Jeremy decided to take the leap and be the first to say something about Vicki now, Matt had mentioned his sister's name, "I'm really sorry about Vicki."

Matt nodded and squeezed his lips tight as he felt the tears start to form in his throat, "Thank you. Your Aunt Jenna, Elena, and Aella really helped last night."

Jeremy was about to thank Matt when Stefan walked over, concern on his face as he headed straight for Matt, "Matt-" he softly greeted Matt and held out his hand to him, which Matt was quick to take and squeeze "-I'm so sorry about Vicki."

Matt only nodded as the tears grew thicker in his throat; he wasn't too sure this was the best thing to do only a day after his sister's death.

Stefan motioned to where he had just been dancing, "And I'm sorry it looks like we're celebrating... I mean, we're not... it's not meant to be disrespectful to Vicki."

Matt had to smirk; he didn't think someone as perfect as Stefan could stutter the way he was, "It's your birthday Stefan, we can't ignore that because of my sister. If it helps cheers up at least one person today, then it's worth it." Matt then chuckled for the first time since his world had been turned upside down, "I didn't have time to get you a gift, though."

Stefan smiled, "A game of pool is all I ask."

Matt nodded and picked up Jeremy's cue from earlier as Tyler smiled that it was his doing that was making his best friend somewhat happy, "Winner takes on me."

..............................................

..............................................

Lexi smiled sweetly at Darren, the barman, "Three shots of tequila! Two for me and one-" she gestured to Aella "-for my new best friend."

Aella smirked as Darren looked her over, no way was he going to accept that, "I need to see some ID."

"No, you don't," Lexi's voice deepened as her gaze looked upon Darren's, her eyes darkening as she used compulsion on him. Aella watched on intently, only ever seeing Stefan use compulsion from another room.   
  


Darren's face went neutral, and in a deeper tone said to Lexi, "That'll be—"

"-Free!" Lexi almost laughed as she compelled him again, and Aella had to chuckle as Darren pushed the three shots towards her.  
  


"On the house."

  
"Thanks!"

Darren walked away, and Lexi pushed the third shot towards Aella, while Lexi drank up her shot Aella held onto the glass, "You have to tell Stefan to use that more often."

Lexi scoffed, shaking off the wince from the tequila, "What Saint Stefan?"

Aella smirked, fingers tracing the shot glass as she remembered some of their intimate moments together, "He's not so Saintly."

Lexi snorts into the second shot, Stefan's shot, and quickly coughed down the drink as Aella laughed at her. Lexi shook of the wince for the second time and smiled proudly at the brunette, "We are going to cause Stefan so much trouble!"

Aella smiled with her before looking over at Stefan as he played pool with Matt, Stefan laughing and Matt smiling, it was a special moment to see. Lexi nudged Aella when she followed her stare, "You know, I can only make Stefan relax for one day, and even then, he's not this relaxed. You're so good for him."

Aella blushed at the praise and just shrugged, "He's good for me too."

Lexi turned to Aella, smile removed from her face, and eyes pleading, "Just don't hurt him, please."

"I'd have to break my own heart to do that."


	39. What do you exactly know about a Ripper?

**MYSTIC GRILL**

"And we're turning," Aella laughingly instructed a smiling Stefan, turning under their raised arms as they danced again, just the two of them this time.

"Is this all you know when it comes to dancing?" Stefan smirked, he had turned her under their joined arms for the fourth time in just this one dance.

Aella's blush spoke a thousand words, and Stefan pulled her closer with a laugh, "My turn to take over."

Aella cheekily raised her brow, "Ooh La La!"

Stefan leaned her backward slowly, Aella giggling softly to herself as he did so, he sharply brought her back up then turning them around the dance floor. "Why Mr. Salvatore," Aella fluttered her lashes in a southern accent, "I do declare we are dancing together."

Smiling at her humor, Stefan led them around the dance floor, he and Aella in their own little bubble, "Thank you for making me do this, I've had a really good night so far." Aella brushed off the second praise she'd gotten in the past hour, and Stefan shook his head recalling her and Lexi's conversation and her doing the same when Lexi had praised her,

"I mean it Aella," he stopped dancing, making Aella look directly up at him, "Even after all the trouble with Damon and Vicki, these past few months have been some of the happiest times of my entire 162 years."

Aella leaned up and softly kissed Stefan's lips, whispering gently against them, "I love you."

Stefan kissed her again before pulling back and repeating her loving words against her own lips. When they pulled back and carried on dancing, Stefan kissed their conjoined hands, "And thank you for being so good to Lexi."

Aella shrugged with a broad smile, her vision directed to Caroline, who was laughing with Matt for milliseconds then returning to Stefan, "She's your number one, right?"

Stefan's own vision flashed to Lexi, who was walking to the bar after talking with Bonnie and Elena. He realized Aella's words were spot on, Lexi was his number one person, his best friend, his person; his Caroline to Aella, he nodded and pulled Aella close again, "Yeah, she's my number one."

Aella nodded against his chest, "Then she's family in my eyes."

Stefan was about to lean down and kiss her again when his hearing picked up a familiar voice who was more nervous than he'd ever heard her:

_"Look around, let me know if you see anything."_

Stefan's hearing picked up on Sheriff Forbes words and looked up just as a girl stood in Liz's arms shakily pointed towards a chatting Damon and Lexi. When the Sheriff and her deputies started making her way towards the bar, Stefan and Aella moved through the crowd to get to Lexi when a deputy stopped them just in time to spot Liz slyly stabbed Lexi with a needle and heard the Sheriff thank Damon for the vervain.

"Oh my god."

Stefan's mind remembered his earlier words to Lexi, and he knew he should have heeded his own warning. He pulled from Aella to intercept the leaving groups the entrance, but two deputies stopped his attempt at rescuing Lexi, "Can't go out this way."

Caroline frowned to Aella as Stefan angrily made his way back, "What's happening?"

"I think your Mom just vervained Lexi," Aella frowned but didn't hear Caroline's response as Stefan took hold of her hand and rushed them out the back, hoping to catch up to them there.

As soon as they were out, they both heard the sound of gunshots, which halted their movements for a second until Stefan squeezed Aella's hand, and they started running again... towards the shots.

Aella turned the corner just in time to see Damon step in front of Liz and thrust his wooden stake into her heart, "Oh my g-"

Stefan's hand quickly covered her mouth and pulled her against his chest before pulling them both back behind the Grill, Aella's sobs silenced by Stefan's hand as he repeatedly said to himself with tears in his eyes, "Oh my God! Oh, my God?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Aella came out of the vision with another gasp, tears falling down her face immediately.

Looking up to Stefan, Aella could only sob out, "Lexi."

_"Look around, let me know if you see anything."_

Stefan's hearing picked up on Sheriff Forbes words and looked up just as a girl stood in Liz's arms shakily pointed towards a chatting Damon and Lexi. When the Sheriff and her deputies started making her way towards the bar, Stefan realized just what Aella had meant when she'd returned from her vision.

_"A party that Damon wants us to go to, you know? So my question is, why? I think he's up to something."_

Stefan's mind remembered his earlier words to Lexi, and as Liz stabbed Lexi with a needle and heard the Sheriff thank Damon for the vervain, he knew he should have heeded his own warning. He pulled from Aella to intercept the leaving group, but Aella pulled on his arm, "No Stefan, we won't make it that way."

Stefan quickly realized Aella must have seen this exact moment, and the results were not good for Lexi. Pushing through the people, they made their way out of the back door of the Grill just to see Sheriff Forbes shooting a growling Lexi. Time seemed to slow down as he saw Damon making his way to Lexi, stake in hand and glare on his face, and before he could shout for Lexi to turn Damon raised his stake, and Stefan wanted to close his eyes, but Aella stepped in front of him, hatred and magic running through her veins:

"Not this time Damon," Aella scowled and threw her hand to the left, sending Damon flying fast and hard into Liz and knocking the Sheriff out and disabling Damon for the moment.

Stefan wasted no time running towards Lexi, who like him, was shocked at what Damon was about to do.

Aella ran over to check Liz was okay but knocked out, and when Damon started to try and get himself up, groaning as he did so, Aella turned to Stefan who now held Lexi up, "Get her out of here!"

Stefan hesitated, and looked down to a groaning Lexi - the vervain was taking full control - but Aella alone with Damon was really hindering his decision making, until Aella shouted once more, "Trust me, I can deal with him." Stefan could see the fury in her eye and nodded trusting her before running back to his house with an alive Lexi in his arms.

Aella glared back down at Damon, his struggle at getting up not affecting her whatsoever, walking toward the vampire she got down on one knee, glaring right back at Damon when he turned his eyes blue eyes on hers. Aella's glare increased, and Damon fell to his knees, screaming in agony, holding his head as Aella caused blood vessels to burst in his brain, thus giving him multiple aneurysms.

Through his screams, Aella patiently explained their dilemma, "I've had just enough of you trying to kill everyone close to my friends and me. Now you stop the vendetta you have against Stefan or this-" She placed her finger to Damon's head, and Damon screams louder; his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth were bleeding out "-will get much worse."

Aella stood up and started walking away, Damon's screams at the pain not affecting her at all as she said over her shoulder to him, "Don't mess with us again, Damon."

  
..............................................

..............................................

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Aella walked in Stefan's room and before she could look for her boyfriend or his best friend Aella was pulled into the familiar arms of Stefan who held her close, she held on tightly to his back and allowed them just a few minutes of peace before she pulled back slightly, "How's Lexie?"

Stefan shook his head and looked at her, pointedly, "How are you?"

"Tired," Aella shrugged and smiled tightly as the tears settled in her eyes. "Dancing, laughing, horrible vision, using my powers... exciting night compared to most!"

Stefan pulled her close again as he whispered into her hair, "Thank you for saving my best friend."

Aella shook her head against his chest, "You never have to thank me for that ever again, she's your number one. How is she?"

Stefan turned them so Aella could see Lexie on his bed, the vervain successful in knocking her out, "I got the bullets out, now she's just got to heal."

Aella nodded and pulled away, looking back up to him, "I'll keep an eye on her, but do you think you can get me a candy bar? I'm feeling a little weak."

Stefan nodded and kissed her forehead, and he made his way down to the kitchen where Aella stored Candy bars just for said occasion. Aella made her way over to the bed and got on the empty side of the bed. Spotting the bowl of water and flannel to its side, Aella realized Stefan must have been about to clean up Lexi's wounds when she arrived. Picking up the cloth and placing it in the water before squeezing out the excess water, Aella cleaned the sweat on Lexi's brow before working on her very bloodied stomach.

Armed with Aella chocolate bar, Stefan made his way to the stairs when he heard the tell-tale signs of Damon returning and heading to his favorite piece of furniture in the house, the drinks table. Without a thought, he ran through the house, and before he could think he was punching Damon across the room once... twice... thrice. Pulling Damon up by his shirt, Stefan's fury encircled his body.

"Come on," Damon groaned out. "I did this for you. To get them off our trail, I thought you'd prefer using Lexi as the goat rather than a human."

Stefan angrily shook his head as his glare intensified, "You never do anything for anyone but yourself." And before Damon could blink, Stefan had smashed a chair, picked up its broken leg, and stabbed him in his stomach.

Damon, he's widened first in shock that his brother had staked him, then the pain when he realized his brother had missed, "You missed!"

"No," Stefan spat out before drawing himself closer to Damon and forcing the stake in deeper, ignoring Damon's painful groans. "You saved my life. I'm sparing yours. We're even. And now we're done."

..............................................

..............................................

When Lexi woke with a groan, she didn't know if she's was 'alive' or actually dead this time, but when she spotted a familiar blonde head out of the corner of her eyes she turned her head and met the smiling face of her best friend, she knew she was 'alive.'

The events from the party slowly started coming back to her, but like she was viewing them through a fog, due to the effects of the vervain. When her brain remembered how she was 'alive,' her eyes widened and asked Stefan, "Where's Aella?"

Stefan only smirked and nodded his head to Lexi's other side, when she turned her head she was happy to see Aella asleep on the other side of Stefan's bed, empty chocolate bar wrapper in her hand. Lexi looked back at Stefan with an amused smirk, "I wish this had been the first time I've woken up with a cute brunette in my best friend's bed, but I'd be lying."

Stefan laughed and sat up, setting his book on the bedside table, "How are you feeling?"

Lexi brows only raised, "Exactly how one would feel after being vervained, shot multiple times, and almost staked by my best friend's brother." Stefan was silent as Lexi looked back to Aella, stroking the hair that had tangle on her face during sleep away, "She saved my life tonight."

Stefan stood up and made his way around the bed, his own hand stroking Aella's hand that was close to her face, "I wouldn't have made it in time if it wasn't for her." Lexi raised a brow in question, and Stefan explained just one of Aella's powers, Lexi had yet to know about, "She had a vision-" Stefan felt sick as the words came out "-Damon killed you without thought."

"Stef," Lexi sighed when she saw the tears gather in his eyes.

"Aella took him down in time," Stefan nodded with a slight smile.

Lexi frowned faintly as she sat herself up, careful not to awaken Aella, "Stef, just how powerful is Aella?"

Stefan didn't answer at first and continued to stroke Aella's hand, then hair, then cheek, before looking back to Lexi, "I don't know Lex, and I'm worried we won't know what to do as she gets stronger."

"I'll find out," Lexi declared with a fierce nod. She smiled gently down at her, savior, "It's the least I can do."

..............................................

..............................................

When Aella woke the next day she slowly stretched out her body as her eyes adjusted to the bright room, it was like a typical morning until she remembered the previous night, and realized that Lexi was no longer in bed with her. Fear coursing through her veins, Aella's eyes quickly assessed the room, but there was no Lexi and no Stefan, pushing herself off the bed she ran down the stairs and finally calmed when she heard Lexi and Stefan arguing in the library.

_"I can deal with it, Stefan! You shouldn't have to deal with my human blood."_

Aella stepped into the room and watched as a very weak and pale Lexi unsuccessful wrestle the blood packet out of Stefan's hand. Stefan easily pushed Lexi down on one of the couches and held the human blood bag in his hand, "My main focus is you and Aella, Damon failed last night, doesn't mean he won't try again and I need you strong again."

Aella stepped forward, "How about I help Lexi, and you can get me some of my own blood?"

The two vampires quickly turned to look at her, their arguing masking her approach, Stefan was quick to smile and hold out the blood when she approached him, but Lexi was still; how do you thank someone for saving your life?

Without thought, Lexi jumped in, forgetting the blood bag in Aella's hand, and took hold of Aella pulling her close.

"Thank you," Lexi whispered, holding Aella tight. "Thank you."

Careful of the blood bag, Aella wrapped her arms around Lexi and squeezed her back, "You don't have to thank me, you're Stefan's person."

Lexi pulled back with a confused expression, and Aella just chuckled, pulling Lexi and herself back onto the couch, "I can explain while Stefan-" she pointedly looked at her boyfriend "-gets me my coffee."

When Stefan nodded and left the room, Aella picked up the mug Stefan had been trying to pour Lexi's blood in, smirking at the cup Stefan had chosen, one of her own favorites, she pierced the bag the poured the blood into the mug. Handing it to Lexi, who had a brow raised at her smirk, Aella turned the mug around so Lexi could read it, "I told Stefan before, it's not as weird when the blood is in a funny cup."

Lexi took a moment to read the mug before chuckling out loud, she took a sip of the blood then looked to Aella with her a smirk on her face now, "Was this for someone in particular?"

Aella pretended to this it over with a 'hmmm?' before laughing with Lexi, knowing precisely who the mug was aimed at.

Getting comfy on the couch, Lexi took another sip of the blood, sighing internally when she felt her body feel somewhat useful again, "So what's this 'Stefan's person' thing?"

Aella rested her head on her arm, which rested on the back of the leather couch, "Have you ever seen Grey's Anatomy?" Lexi nodded, and at Lexis nod, she continued, "Meredith and Christina are each others person, it describes the deep bond between best friends. It means you are the person's go-to. ... When you're someone's person, you stand by him or her through every hardship, through every phase of life, through every heartbreak, and every argument."

Lexi nodded with a smile at the description before pointing to Aella, "Caroline."

Aella nodded with her own smile and pointed back to Lexi, "Stefan."

Lexi was quiet for a few moments as she took another sip of her blood, she was about question Aella more on her powers when Stefan walking in, sans coffee, "We're out of coffee-"

"Wha-" Aella cut him off in shock that had happened.

"-But I'm going to go get you a double shot, and we can pick up a coffee from the grocery store later," He held up her car keys, and she actually felt she was going to jump his bones, especially with the satisfied smirk on his face.

"I love you," Aella couldn't help but coo and pouted her lips for him to kiss, which he did with a chuckle as Lexi smiled behind her mug. But Aella didn't miss the slight dilation in his eyes as they shifted over to Lexi's cup of blood before jogging out of the room.

It was quiet as Aella thought over Stefan's previous run-ins with human blood, and the vision she had been provided of Lexi's and Stefan's first encounter. Her mind turned over multiple questions that she couldn't answer. But when she heard Lexi finish the last of her mug of blood, Aella realized she didn't need to find the answers herself as she had the perfect person to ask.

"Lexi?" Aella questioned the blonde, and at her 'Hm?' Aella asked her question, "With Stefan's history with blood, has he ever introduced human blood into his diet slowly?"

Lexi opened her mouth to answer like it was apparent until her voice caught in her throat as her brain realized they had never done that, the Ripper was in control when she first met him or would meet up with him. A fact she shared with Aella, which had the brunette humming to herself. Lexi tried to think if Stefan had ever told her how he introduced human blood into his diet, but she soon realized that something like that had never been discussed between them, due to her only meeting up with him as the Ripper or playing veggie vamp.

Lexi placed her mug on the side table and got herself comfy, "Has Stefan told you much about the Ripper, or even what a Ripper is?"

Aella replicated her sitting position on the opposite side of the couch as she thought over her past conversations with Stefan, "Just that he uses animal blood after 'a bad few years,'"

She didn't want Lexi or Stefan to know she'd already met The Ripper thanks to her vision.

Lexi scoffed at Stefan's poor excuse, "A few years? Try decades if you add up all the dates." Aella's mouth fell open, which had Lexi nodding. Lexi then leaned forward a little, "What do you exactly know about a Ripper?"

"Apart from good olde, Jack?" Aella tried to joke, but her smile fell when she saw the seriousness on Lexi's face. "Nothing, but I can handle it."


	40. You would not believe the recipes someone can make with blood!

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

"A Ripper is a nickname vampires gave to other vampires who liked the killing a little too much," Lexi tested the waters with a brief explanation, but when Aella nodded her to continue, she did just that. "They usually have turned off their humanity, therefore don't care about their actions; the enjoyment of hunting and terrorizing humans... vampire... anyone, is far more entertaining. Consumed by their bloodlust to the point that their morality is irrelevant."

Aella gulped as the image of Stefan from her vision, came to her mind, and she could see that lust and enjoyment when he killed - even when he hunted Lexi. Lexi looked concerned, and Aella smiled slightly in thanks for her explaining what Stefan could never do, "And how many times have you met Stefan's Ripper?"

"Only twice," Lexi settled back with a slight shrug. "I arrived in Mystic Falls after hearing that the town had a sizable vampire population, not knowing they had all burned to death in the town's round-up months earlier. I was found by Stefan, who had just been newly-turned and in full Ripper mode, in a makeshift hospital for wounded soldiers-" Lexi chuckled lowly "-the idiot tried to attack me, but as I was older it was like fighting a child." Aella chuckled, remembering her vision and how easily Stefan had been taken down by her.

"I was able to explain things Katherine never did, especially the Ripper part of Stefan. I explained that he felt nothing because he had managed to turn off the part that makes him feel - the human part of him. That in spite of the intensified pain and suffering vampires feel - love is what makes life worth living. Over the course of many decades, I became Stefan's mentor, best friend, and companion, and showed Stefan the 'good parts' of being a vampire; how to live compassionately and reclaim the caring, empathetic person Stefan had been as a human. And until 1912, Stefan lived on a strict animal blood diet and no longer fed on human blood."

"Why, 1912?" Aella wondered.

Lexi snorted humorlessly, "Who else?"

Aella frowned for a second until realized very quickly the only person who could cause Stefan so much misery, "Damon."

Lexi nodded, "In 1912, Stefan returned to Mystic Falls to attend the funeral of his half-nephew, Zachariah, and Stefan saw Damon for the first time in almost fifty years. Damon played with Stefan's love of him, and Stefan turned into the Ripper again, and then ran for at least five years. I know there was something within Stefan that had some realization about what he was doing because he did everything to avoid me in those five years."

"Why?"

"Embarrassment? Anger? Joy?" Lexi offered with a small shrug. "Then, 1917 happened."

"Why do I feel that 1917 is another bad part of Stefan's life?" Aella predicted, fear on her face.

Lexi smiled sadly, "Because you'd be right. Stefan had become notorious for his killing sprees, including the massacre of an entire migrant village in Monterey in 1917 after he became known among vampires as the 'Ripper of Monterey.' Aella's eyes were wide, and Lexi decided to continue before the brunette had her stop, she needed to know this side of Stefan. "1922 I found him again and dragged him off the train tracks and started to help him recover his humanity and get off of human blood. It took the better part of a decade to do so, and by the 1940s, still under my guidance, he continued to make progress with his rehabilitation. This is the longest he's been just, Stefan."

Aella was quiet as she thought over Lexi's words and tried to place herself in Stefan's shoes during each of those moments he'd become the Ripper; the first time unknowingly, and the second thanks to Damon.

"Anger?" Aella whispered to herself, but Lexi's vampire hearing picked it up anyway. "No, Betrayal."

Looking up, she saw Lexi's brow raised at her words, "It's when he's betrayed."

Lexi shook her head, now confused, and Aella sat up leaning close to the blonde. "Every time Stefan has had human blood, it's when he's being betrayed; Giuseppe, Damon, Katherine the first time, when he was changed. Damon the second time. He's never had a good experience with human blood to be able to handle drinking the blood, without being betrayed."

Lexi could see where Aella was going and smiled when she realized the brunette was right, "Until now."

Aella was confused, "What?"

"It's like you said," Lexi sat up like Aella as excitement worked its way through her body. "He's always betrayed. But with you and me by his side, that would never happen. Even with Damon around because he knows what Damon is like now, unlike in 1912."

Aella smiled brightly as they both got on the same wavelength, "That takes us back to my original question, slightly altered, with our support can Stefan introduce human blood into his diet slowly?"

Lexi nodded, laughing with excitement, "It's crazy, but I think we could do it."

**MYSTIC GRILL**

Elena was picking up food for her and Bonnie when she saw Damon at the bar, drinking per usual, only this time he didn't seem to be in the best mood. All the other times, she had bumped into the elder Salvatore he'd had this teasing grin aimed, usually, only at her. A feeling she couldn't deny sent a funny feeling in her stomach... until she'd remember it was Damon Salvatore.

"It's a little early to be drinking," She said once she'd collected her lunch bag and made her way over the Damon.

Damon took a slow sip from his tumbler as his gaze met Elena's, "It's five o'clock somewhere."

When he turned back to face the bar and didn't mutter some teasing comment she realized her earlier thoughts seemed to be correct, taking a seat on the empty barstool she stared at him, "What's wrong?"

"Like you care," Damon muttered into his glass.

Elena raised a brow at his quick dismissal, "Seriously?"

Elene waited a few minutes, and when Damon said nothing, she scoffed and muttered about 'trying to help.' She just got off the stool when Damon finally opened up, "I think I've finally ruined the relationship between me and my brother for good."

"Well, why not talk to him?" Elena asked him, as Aella had suggested with her and Jeremy, a suggestion that worked.

Damon snorted as he threw back the remainder of his glass before alerting the bartender he wanted another one, "Oh yeah," he looked back to her unimpressed. "I can see it now-" he deepened his own voice "-_So, Stefan...You know, I've been thinking. I think we should start over, give this brother thing another chance. We used to do it, oh-so-well, once upon a time_." He then lowered his voice even lower as he imitated his brother, "_I don't, Damon. I can't trust you to be a nice guy. You hurt everybody, and you're so mean. You're so mean, and_-" Damon laughed to himself and picked up his new full glass "-He's really hard to imitate, and then I have to go to that lesser place..."

Elena smiled at his attempt at Stefan, it was pretty close to the way he spoke, but she'd never heard Stefan sound so pathetic. Happy Damon was acting just a bit like himself, so she decided to continue talking to him, "That's what Jeremy and I were like for so long, and then Aella helped me realize that Jeremy's his own person, I can't make him like me or want to spend time with me. If you want to be brothers with Stefan again, be that person who he enjoyed being with and not the person he's doesn't want to be with."

Damon was quiet for a moment until he gulped his full tumbler of Whiskey down in one mouthful, "You always knew what to say, Katherine..." Elena frowned and was about to correct Damon when he continued, "But it was always Stefan with you... but I'll be the one to save you." He then stood up and left Elena at the bar and his unpaid bill next to his glass.

Elena was still as she thought over Damon's words, "Katherine?"

Why was she associated with that name again?

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

When Stefan arrived back with Aella's coffee and an extra large bag of coffee beans, he headed directly for the Library knowing he had told Lexi not to move, although he wasn't very surprised when he saw both Lexi and Aella missing from where he left them.

"Aella?" He shouted.

"In the kitchen!" Aella shouted back, although her voice sounded slightly strained.

Heading to the kitchen, he was taken aback when he saw them standing in front of the counter looking like they were up to something... something he wasn't too sure if he was going to like.

"Are you both okay?" He asked slowly.

"Yes," Aella smiled and walked over to him, kissing him on the lips and taking the coffee cup from his hand. But instead of drinking her drink, she just smiled tentatively at him, a fact that was now really unsettling him. "I had an idea, well-" she motioned back to Lexi who smiled mischievously at him, and another unsettling feeling settled in his stomach, "-we had an idea, and I want you to listen completely before saying; no, absolutely not, no way-"

"-Not going to happen," Lexi continued smirking. "Or my absolute favorite of yours over the years, Stef, are you crazy!"

Stefan placed the coffee beans bag on the large dark oak table, "Not filling me with the most confidence right now."

Aella took hold of his cheek with her free hand and pecked his lips once more, "You're so cute..." she flicked her fingers, and the chair from the large table shot out and stopped in front of him. "Take a seat."

Stefan chuckled at her and sat down, "Now I'm starting to feel scared..." he sniffed, and his senses were filled with Aella's Sandalwood Incense Sticks, "...and why can I only smell incense?"

Aella looked back to Lexi, hesitation in her smile again, but Lexi quickly waved her on to start, and she turned back to Stefan, "Lexi and I spoke about your days as the Ripper..."

Stefan's smile fell, and his eyes darted to Lexi, annoyance and a slight betrayal in them. Still, Lexi just held up her hands innocently, and Aella was quick to bring Stefan's attention back to her as annoyance filled her body, "Stefan Salvatore you stop looking at Lexi like that! **I** started the conversation, and **I** asked Lexi questions If you're going to glare at anyone, it's going to be **me**!"

Stefan quickly held up his hands, an annoyed Aella was never a good thing, "I'm sorry," he apologized to Lexi before looking back to Aella, "I'm listening."

Aella started at him for a few more moments, and when she saw he was actually paying attention, she continued, "Whenever you've become **that** person," she held off using the 'R' word seeing Stefan's reaction to it. "...it seems, from what Lexi told me, is that it's always started when you've been angry or betrayed, and it's hindered your ability to know when to stop... which then leads to becoming **him**." She backed away to the counter, and with a nod to Lexi, they separated to show three shot glasses filled with a red consistency. A consistency Stefan knew so well and felt himself gulp sharply at the three glasses.

Aella held her hands up to Stefan in case he was going to stop the idea before she said anything else, unknown that Stefan was getting more interested at what she and Lexi were up to. Aella moved the incense stick that sat behind the three glasses, and she motioned towards them: "Three shot glasses; one filled with 75% vodka and 25% animal blood, the second filled with 75% vodka and 25% human blood, and the third filled with 75% vodka and a 25% mixture of human and animal blood."

Aella held her hand out for Stefan, and he stood and walked over to her taking hold of her hand without hesitation, he looked at the shot glasses and knew he could smell blood, but the mixture of smells between the animal blood, to vodka, to human blood, as well as the incense stick was impossible to differentiate.

Aella turned him to look at her and not the blood, "A little at a time, no hatred, no betrayal," she listed each one with a smile and hope. "Just me, you and Lexi..." Aella eyes filled with tears as imagined what her Stefan had to go through just to get him where he was today, the pain and desperation he must have felt, "...You have always been alone when you went through this, but we can help you, and you will be able to get through this without **him** taking over any more."

A tear fell down her cheek, and Stefan was quick to wipe it away, along with the others that fell following the first, Aella laughed off the tears, and leaned closer to him as they both struggled with the built-up emotions.

Lexi seeing that Aella was struggling to continue, decided to continue for her, "We start off little," Stefan looked up to her as Aella calmed herself down in his arms. "...and week-by-week or day-by-day, we increase just a little."

"And every day we hope that our love and support is all that is needed," Aella finished, slightly shocked how emotional she had gotten.

Stefan was quiet as he rubbed Aella's back in comfort without thought, he nodded at their logic but raised a brow at one of the applications, "And the vodka?"

Aella pulled slightly back, eyes red but humored as she glanced at a smirking Lexi, "Sometimes Damon's monologues of how alcohol can stop cravings is unavoidable, and when Lexi mentioned it yesterday at the Grill, it made realize that it wasn't a Damonism... and I wondered if it could help not only with the cravings but help mask some of the human blood taste."

"Okay..." he nodded at her idea. "And we just increase the blood and lower the alcohol?"

"No." Aella declared mischief on her face. "We also introduce it with food!"

"Food?" Stefan wasn't convinced.

Lexi laughed at his face, and in fascination, what they researched, "Our thoughts too, but you would not believe the recipes someone can make with blood!"

His girlfriend nodded along with her, her nose scrunched up in distaste, "Very scary but very true. Mostly based on middle eastern cultures, I could make the food and drinks and hide the blood, so it's, hopefully, not recognizable, especially with animal blood."

Lexi finished off, "And slowly the animal blood is reduced; the use of it in food and drinks is reduced until it's just human blood, and then we go from there."

Stefan looked to Aella with pride in his eyes, flashing a thankful smile to his best friend, before looking back to Aella, "You've really thought this through, why?"

Aella took his hands and shrugged with a small smile, "Stefan, you're an amazing boyfriend, friend, and person... but there is always this fear in the back of your head of becoming a ripper, and you have to leave everything you've built to protect those you love in fear of killing them. But what if that can be stopped? You worry about not being able to help me or anyone else because of your strength when on animal blood, what if that worrying can be stopped? You could just be you, and all those worries can go. You can finally be free and live the life you deserve."

Stefan brushed the apple of her cheek before he looked to Lexi, "And you think this is possible?"

Lexi nodded immediately, "I've never really heard of it done this way, but why not try?"

Stefan thought over the idea again, could it be possible to defeat the Ripper inside him? Aella had a point that all the other times his emotions had probably had a significant effect during his past dealings with blood. Lexi had told him in the past that the Ripper was like an addiction if other people could control their cravings, why couldn't he?

Stefan allowed his gaze to look over Aella's eager face, his whole body aching with love for her that she wanted to help him beat this. He then looked to Lexi, only seriousness in his gaze, "And you'll be here every step of the way?"

"I will."

He looked down at Aella with the same look, "And if I tell you to go because I can feel him taking over you go to your Grams, it's the only place I haven't been in, do you promise me?"

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Aella quickly nodded, "I promise."

Stefan said nothing else, and instead took one of the shot glasses in his hand, he held it there for what seemed hours to him but was only a few seconds before he quickly drank not just one shot with vamp speed, but all three. He broke away from Aella and held onto the counter as Aella stepped towards Lexi in concern, Lexi stepping in front of Aella - her protection taking priority.

"Stefan?" Lexi cautiously questioned.

Stefan's eyes opened and darted directly to Aella, happiness shining in his green eyes, the two girls relaxed, and Aella asked, "So? Any part of you suddenly wants to rip our heads off?"

Stefan chuckled for the first time since entering the kitchen and shook his head in relief, "I couldn't tell the difference, but I feel really good."

Aella's eyes darted to Lexi, jumping on the spot in excitement at his words.

Stefan looked to the two of them, intense gratitude on his face and in his words, "Thank you."

Aella hugged Lexi, her hug echoing her thankfulness for her trust in her idea, then looked to Stefan, "Let's do this!"

**AELLA'S DIARY**

_ **DAY 9** _

_ **So I finally caved and got a diary, Elena laughed in my face when I bought it, but I believed if we could help Stefan, then maybe we could help other vampires. So, on November 2nd, we started Stefan on the road of finally being able to help him not become a 'blood-a-holic,' a phrase coined by Caroline, again.** _

_ **A few days in, and I was getting really inspired by cocktails and Mocktails laced with human and animal blood, courtesy of Lexi, who had officially moved into one of the spare rooms. She had told her boyfriend, Lee, she was staying for an extended period, and thanks to my clear quick thinking in saving Lexi's life, Lee said he now owed me and me borrowing Lexi for a little while longer was okay with him. And while the drinks were fun to make, I had no idea how much fun it was to cook things with blood in them.** _

_ **During the day when I should have been at school, I was with Stefan and Lexi, Lexi had compelled the school staff to mark me as present, and she was now teaching me what she knew about the world... and actual life lessons. Elena was suspicious at first, but when Lexi and I explained that Stefan had lost a very close family member the suspicions lessened. Jenna busy with her own school work wasn't too fussed I was at the boarding house more and more but did demand at least three family dinners a week. Elena was the one I had to worry about... she was becoming more and more aware that she was not being told everything, but luckily I had Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy all in on what was going on so they could distract her. It was only because Elena was a true friend that she hadn't told Jenna I wasn't attending school.** _

_ **And now it's been two weeks, and the difference in Stefan has been incredible. I think it helped that Damon has been keeping away from the house as much as possible, it was only when Stefan and I did our daily runs that Lexi would tell us that Damon had come and gone. At the same time, we were out, she'd heard the door open and close at specific times which is how she deduced it was Damon. Maybe Damon had realized that it was time to focus on Stefan, what he had nearly done two weeks ago was unforgivable, and now he needed to wait for Stefan's forgiveness. At least I hope that's his thoughts, I can see in Stefan's eyes when we return from a run, and Lexi nods to him of his brothers return/leave routine do I see that he misses his brother. Maybe that can be the next thing we can fix if this crazy plan works.** _

_ **Fingers crossed, and I'll check in soon...** _

_ **Bye... me?** _


	41. Who are the Samphires?

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

_"So how's Lexi been?_"

Aella moved her iPad from her knees and set it up on Stefan's bed as she adjusted her position on the bed, so she was now laid on her stomach, legs waving back and forth in the air. She had been speaking to Caroline for the past 20 minutes about school before the blonde asked about their new vampire friend.

"Okay," Aella shrugged as best as she could from her position. "The fact that Damon has been MIA while we've been helping Stefan has kept her mind off what happened. But when she told Lee, wow!"

Caroline chuckled how wide Aella's eyes had gone, "_Lee, the vampire boyfriend?_"

Aella nodded, "Lee, the human Lexi loved and turned vampire, so he's Bella to Lexi's Edward."

"_So super protective_," Caroline summed up, which had Aella chuckling.

"Basically," Aella said, but then she remembered what she had seen at the Grill before shit went down. She came close to her iPad's camera, "But enough of that missy! Tell me I saw you and Matt flirting up a storm before Mama Forbes decided to play Van Helsing?"

Caroline bit her lip to try and hide her smile, but Aella could see it immediately, "_He may have asked me out... but_-" the blonde held up her finger to the camera halting Aella's squealing "_-but... we decided to give him some time to deal with the fact his sister had just died!_" She rolled her eyes, "_And then Mom had to go and say an investigation had to be done, which could take up to a few months before Matt can even plan a funeral._"

"And his Mom?" Aella questioned, hating Matt was having to go through this.

Caroline scoffed, "_You mean the Mom that has been rejecting all his calls for the past two weeks?_"

"Thank God for you and Jenna then," Aella smiled, Jenna had taken Matt under her wing and was now practically raising four kids. It was also a blessing in disguise as it was keeping Jenna from really noticing Aella was never actually around and had virtually moved in with Stefan unofficially.

"_But I swear A, if Elena doesn't stop with the fluttering eyelashes and reminiscing with Matt, I may kill her!_"

Aella could see how hard it was for Caroline to share that, but that's why she was her person, she knew Caroline was just annoyed and wouldn't actually say anything to Elena... maybe a few years ago before they were as close as they were now. "That's just how E is Caroline, her and Matt will always have a histor-"

"_-And I know that!_" Caroline interrupted her wide-eyed, "_But every time I feel that Matt and I are getting closer and he feels like he can share things with me, Elena shows up and can't help but bring up a past event, which usually include when they dated!_"

"Does it make Matt forget what's going on?" Aella questioned, brow raised.

Caroline was quiet until she groaned out a soft, "_Yes..._"

Aella shrugged, "Well, let them reminisce, but know that at the Grill, even with Elena there, Matt's eyes were always on you... I think he's realized that thing he and E had sailed away by now. You've just gotta keep calm."

"_Ugh!_" Caroline fell back onto her bed, but Aella could still hear the blonde mutter, "_I hate it when you're right._"

"Whoa, baby!" Aella laughed. "Can I record you saying that again?"

It didn't take 2 seconds for Caroline's head to pop back up, glare in full view, "_You Full Housed! You know what that mea-_"

Aella eyes widened; she honestly thought Caroline would be in so much anguish at saying she was right; she would have missed her quoting Full house. "Uhhhh crkrkrkrkrkrkrk-" Aella imitated a bad phone line into her iPad "-bad connection Caroline-" she moved her hand in and out of the camera to make it look there was a bad connection. "-What was that Stefan, you need help?" She answered an invisible Stefan... all the while Caroline was glaring at her screen, not believing Aella for one minute. "Love you, C!"

**AELLA'S DIARY**

_ **DAY 15** _

_ **I'm still getting used to this, writing my feelings down, thing... I mean I've written a total of 2 entries, how do Elena and Stefan do this daily? Multiple times in the same day! I have to get Stefan a new hobby!... Well, once he can be in the same room as human and not want to rip them apart and suck up all their blood!** _

_ **Priorities!** _

_ **For once, I'm stuck. Lately, I've been able to really concentrate on my powers while Stefan has been learning to drink human blood again. Stefan has been incredible these past two weeks, the fact we're nearly at that point where we can try human blood on its own, and Stefan know it's the pure thing rather than it being disguised is a fantastic feat for him, as well as Lexi and I. Lexi tries not to tear up when she watches Stefan, and I train together, or when he drinks his mixed blood without worry, but it just shows how much she cares for him.** _

_ **Speaking of training, the past week has been a whole new me when it comes to fighting Stefan and Lexi. Before I would have to concentrate on my fighting abilities that Stefan has taught me since we got together and pairing it with my magic, our strengths are similar. But this week it's like I have this precognition with my fighting and powers, they feel like they're own entity and it's like I'm ahead of Stefan and Lexi when fighting that I just do instead of thinking.** _

_ **It's so hard to describe... But it feels right?** _

_ **Stefan is suspicious, especially when I was able to take him down quicker than ever before. He didn't say anything, but I know he's always been cautious when my magic takes over, and I'm not sure why.** _

_ **I'll ask Grams when I speak to her tonight.** _

_ **Night, me!** _

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

"_Well, that's different!_"

Aella was once again facetiming Caroline, only this time, Jeremy was sat with her as they sat in her car. Apparently, they had met up with Matt and Tyler at the Grill, and Caroline was giving Jeremy a lift home when Aella called and explained this new ability.

Jeremy was now caught up entirely on the supernatural in Mystic Falls, and it was him that had spoken. He'd read Aella's witch notes that corresponded with her Bennett family line and hadn't read anything like she was describing.

"_Can we back up just a minute?!_" Caroline huffed, placing her phone in her car holder, so she didn't have to strain holding the device while annoyed she was only just learning this information now. "_Why are you even learning to fight, you have magic?_"

Aella had to smirk at Caroline's protectiveness, "Lexi and Stefan thought it would be a good skill to learn in case my powers fail me."

"_Have they in the past?_" Jeremy questioned, worried it had.

Aella smiled at him, as best she could through a screen, "It's a just in case, you never know, especially as I'm not 100% what's happened in the past with my Mom's side of the family. Plus, Stefan doesn't want Damon to get a drop on me like he did when Tanner was killed."

"_Do you think they'll teach me?_" The teenager smirked. "_Lexi could be my PT?_"

Caroline was not impressed, "_Got over it, Jeremy, she has a boyfriend that she changed into a vampire... I think her dumping him for you is only a dream_!"

"Mmm-hmmm," Jeremy moaned. "_And what a great dream it'll be._"

Caroline turned back to a laughing Aella, face serious, "_Do you see what you have left me with? Two weeks friends with Tyler and he's already starting to sound as smarmy as him_."

"Where's B?" Aella asked, following Caroline's complaint.

Caroline scoffed, "_Good question!_"

Aella grew concerned, "Seriously?"

"_No_," Caroline waved off the concern. "_She's been spending more time with Grams, hoping to discover more about her powers. She's pissed. You've got 16 years on her_."

Aella smirked with a slight shrug that her cousin was annoyed, if she couldn't annoy Bonnie at least once a month, then she was not doing what her job description as a cousin proclaimed.

"_Speaking of Grams_," Jeremy piped up though Caroline's complaints. "_Have you spoken to her about this new awareness?_"

"Yes," Aella scowled, adjusting herself at Stefan's desk. "She said it wasn't a Bennett trait. They/we use Traditional Magic, unlike my Mom's family, who was Elementals. She said Uncle Nate might be able to help-"

"_Uncle Nate, yes!_"

"_Mmmmm, Uncle Nate!_"

Caroline and Jeremy cheered in the car at Aella's mention of her Uncle. She may not have seen him often as she did when she was younger, but when Uncle Nate visited Mystic Falls, there was always fun, and a small trail of destruction following his truck as he left town.

"Okay, ew!" Aella pointed at Caroline, "And you-" she pointed at Jeremy "- you're the reason he and I haven't seen each other in over two years!"

_"How was I supposed to know Mom and Dad had no clue you and Uncle Nate were going to cover Sheriff Forbes car with Post-It's in the middle of the night!_" Jeremy argued, although his smirk was trying to make its way onto his face, "_I was like 12!_"

Ignoring his smirk, Aella looked to Caroline, "And how do I go about asking my ONLY Uncle how i've got this sixth sense using my magic when fighting my vampire boyfriend and his best friend? Oh, and my boyfriend is only just drinking human blood again following his past attempts and becoming an _actual _ripper the other two occasions he drank human blood? Help me, oh wise one!"

Caroline and Jeremy became quiet as they thought over what Aella had just ranted about, then Caroline looked to the camera and shrugged, "_Cliff Notes?_"

Even Jeremy joined Aella as they rolled their eyes at her suggestion, "That was the cliff notes, Caroline!"

"_Oh, I don't know,_" Caroline waved off Aella and hitting Jeremy in the process. "_Uncle Nate is hot, and knows more about his side of the family then you!_"

"Stop calling him hot!" Aella pleaded with a shiver to her body.

"_Oh Uncle Nate... you are soooo scrummy_," Caroline smirked, and Jeremy laughed how uncomfortable Aella was getting.

..............................................

..............................................

"_Shut up!_"

Stefan smirked at Aella's squeal, happy she was spending time with people other than him and Lexi. She had been his biggest supporter, and he could honestly say without her, he wouldn't have been able to be drinking human blood again.

"Hey! Lover Boy!" Lexi smirked, watching him smile as Caroline and Jeremy teased Aella virtually upstairs. Stefan looked over to her, and she held up a manilla folder, "Look what has just been delivered."

Stefan frowned in confusion until he saw the name 'Samphire' on the cover, Aella's mother's maiden name. He reached the couch and took a seat next to Lexi holding out his hand for the file, but Lexi frowned and pulled it closer to herself, "It's not much, which concerns me."

Stefan allowed his hand to drop to the couch, and his frown deepened, "What do you mean?"

"I mean the guy I usually go to, who can get most people's ancestors within a few days, can hardly find anything on the Samphire's after nearly two weeks," Lexi stressed. She opened the folder allowing Stefan to see only a few documents and pictures within it, "Apart from a connection to a hospital and having a history of being medical professionals, and my guy cannot find anything further back than the 19th Century. And I mean, they appeared from nowhere."

Stefan was now perplexed, "What are you saying, Lexi? That the Samphire family only established itself in the 1800s because of a new family line, and the old one died off?"

"No," Lexi shook her head with her eyes wide. She showed him the family tree her contact had been able to trace back and pointed to the top of the tree, "Joseph Samphire was a direct descendant of _someone, _but we can't find anything involving a Samphire family further back, they literally appeared out of nowhere and just started living in Virginia."

"What if he was adopted and took on the name Samphire?" Stefan suggested, getting more and more concerned, "Like Aella's dad did when he was adopted by Grams? In his case, he was a direct descendant of Emily's brother Solomon which is why Grams adopted him, but he was able to change his name. Could that be the same here?"

He then remembered the first time Aella revealed she had magic, "Aella told me her Mom, Natasha, was an 'umpteenth generational witch.' Aella was told her family tree goes back further than she had ever imagined."

Lexi shrugged with uncertainty on her face, "According to my contact, he could find nothing connected with the name Samphire, no adoption papers, or legal document dating back before they moved to Virginia, let alone hundreds of years... "

Lexi looked down at the paperwork then back to Stefan, "Stefan, there is _nothing_ about this family until they moved to Virginia. They opened a hospital during the Civil War, admittance open for both sides - which, as you know at the time, was unheard of - and then they were able to build up this business, which is now worth A LOT of money."

Stefan hummed at Lexi's declaration, his focus on the short family tree for the Samphire family, "Aella said she receives her trust fund at different points of life, and it's supposed to be quite a lot..."

Lexi's brows raised, "Quite a lot Stefan? The Devout Hospital of Samphire is one of the most fast earning businesses of the 21st Century! Aella's not just gonna get quite a lot... she's gonna get billions along with 65% ownership of the business. Her Uncle Nate is the one looking after it for her until Aella turns 25."

Stefan's mouth suddenly felt parched. Yes, he had accumulated a lot of money in his long life... but billions of Dollars was a whole new ballpark.

"So I contacted Bree," Lexi quietly admitted causing Stefan's eyes to widen... a contact to collect information was one thing. Still, another witch, especially one with love for gossip, was another thing. "I know-" Lexi held up her hands, "-but I was frustrated and also thought Bree being a witch may help us?"

"And?"

"And apart from Bree and Lee now out for Damon's blood should he go to her neck of the woods anytime soon, Bree didn't know anything about a coven with anyone called Samphire, which is strange for Bree considering her age and her occupation..." Stefan nodded at her words - Bree was a very old and powerful witch. But then Lexi swallowed hard, and she looked around to make sure no one was listening, and Stefan leaned forward with interest. "But she looked around and could tell me two things: If two separate bloodlines combine ( which hasn't happened in over a millennia) anything is possible, especially with one bloodline being a Bennett."

Stefan nodded as his worry started to appear again, he knew a witch being of two bloodlines was rare, but he had no clue it hadn't been for a millenia, "And the second thing?"

Lexi looked uncomfortable, and until then, Stefan didn't realize just how much he felt for Aella until Lexi gave him that look, and his heart raced at the possibilities for that look. "Bree was able to talk to someone, and she won't tell me who, but there is a reason no one knows about a coven with anyone called Samphire..., and it's not because they're a small coven or don't know much. But this person told Bree that if someone of the Samphire bloodline has joined with the Bennett line... it's impossible to know how much power that witch will have, but it would be a lot."

"And what did Bree think?" Stefan wondered to her, Bree was not one to be made a fool of. "Can we trust this 'person'?

"Bree sounded in shock," Lexi revealed, which did not lessen Stefan's worries. "And Bree does not get shook."

Stefan looked above them, where he could still hear Aella, Jeremy, and Caroline laughing, before looking back to Lexi, "Who are the Samphires?"

**AELLA'S DIARY**

_ **DAY 21** _

_ **So today was Stefan's first test with a human, other than me, within his presence. Lexi was quickly becoming aware that the relationship between Stefan and I wasn't normal; yeah, we acted like a couple, but it was the fact that Stefan didn't ever feel compelled by my blood that had Lexi scratching her head multiple times. It was when Stefan was showering that Lexi and I devised a plan to really test Stefan; today, he would be drinking blood from a shot glass on its own, no other blood mixed or mixed in something, and then Caroline would come over. Caroline volunteered without hesitating as she knew with Lexi and me around her she was a safe as could be.** _

_ **Twenty-one days of coming up with unusual drink recipes and following unique food recipes, and now it was Stefan's moment to either go forward or back. He had knocked back the shot of human blood and then had gone running with Lexi, I had feigned I was a little too tired today so Lexi had replaced me.** _

_ **Too tired, my ass!** _

_ **While at first, it was hard running every day and learning to fight, I now was beginning to get a slight four-pack... who knew hard work paid off! It was also the first things Caroline noted when we saw each other in person for longer than 5 minutes rather than on Facetime, and had immediately pulled up my jumper to gaze at my abs... it wasn't the first time in our friendship history she'd pulled up my jumper, so I wasn't surprised. It was what Stefan did next that surprised me!** _

_ **Stefan didn't even notice Caroline as he and Lexi returned, his smile was immense, and his eyes glistened with happiness that filled my heart with joy. He immediately headed for me and spun me around as he exclaimed that he was able to drink the blood on its own, and felt great... better than great if that was possible. ** _ _ **It was only when he saw Lexi, out of the corner of his eye, hug another blonde did Stefan tense up slightly before he realized it was Caroline. Before Lexi and I could move, he had pulled Caroline into a hug too and was happily telling her of his achievement. It wasn't until he'd put her down did I realize I had my hands up, ready to use my magic, and Lexi was poised to protect... but it wasn't needed.** _

_ **So on day twenty-one, Stefan had passed his first human test.** _

_ **Yay us!** _

_ **Bye me!** _


	42. Lexi was always there to save him

**SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE**

Aella sat eating a Grilled Cheese sandwich Stefan had just made her when she asked Lexi to open up about her and Damon's history. Lexi was surprised by the question until she realized that they had talked about everything else other than Damon. The two were not shocked to see Stefan tense up at the mention of Damon's name, but he quickly relaxed when Aella raised a brow, "We have to talk about him sometime."

Stefan nodded, and Lexi took a sip of blood from her mug as she thought of the best way to describe she and the eldest brother had. "To say that Damon looks like the typical vampire romanced about in silly novels, Damon Salvatore has to be the most messed up vampire I've ever met."

Stefan and Aella shared a look at, shocked how easy those words had escaped the blonde's mouth, especially _those _words. Lexi saw their look, "It's true," she shrugged. "Even after being your best friend for so long Stefan, Damon Salvatore is just a bag of emotions that the vampire in him just magnifies them a thousand times."

Stefan looked uncomfortable as he questioned Lexi, "Even with my Ripper tendencies?"

"More so," Lexi held nothing back. "I've seen Ripper's before, I've heard of Ripper's before, but Damon... I've never seen so much hate and love in one person, let alone a vampire."

"What do you mean?" Aella questioned as she finished her food.

Lexi hesitantly glanced at Stefan, "I never really told you my first experience with Damon, have I?"

Aella realized what she meant when she thought back to her vision the day she met Lexi, and the vision she had of her and Damon... something she and Stefan still didn't know about. Stefan frowned, trying to remember that time, his mind wasn't really on Damon but on trying to get sober for the first time ever, "Didn't he leave that day?"

Lexi nodded, taking another sip of her blood, "You were at 'irreparable odds,' according to Damon." Lexi finally met Stefan's eyes, although hers felt uncomfortable at revealing what she had kept between her and Damon for nearly 200 years, "But it was his final words that confused the hell out of me."

Stefan moved closer to Lexi. She wasn't usually this hesitant about sharing her experiences with Damon, "And? What were his final words?"

"Help him."

"Help him."

Lexi's eyes widened as Aella mimicked the words she had kept between her and Damon since 1864, her head twisted to stare at the brunette who had sat up in shock, surprised that the words had escaped her lips too. As quick as their eyes met each other, their faces turned to Stefan as he stared down at the counter in his own shock. He had somehow missed Aella's mutterings of the same two words, so when he lifted his head, he looked directly to Lexi, "He said, 'Help him'?"

"Yeah," Lexi nodded at him, but her eyes glanced at Aella's for second before returning to Stefan's.

"Really?" Stefan questioned again; only now, his voice and eyes held a new emotion; hope.

Aella eyes filled with tears at that sound, and her hand met Stefan's that lay on the counter. Stefan was surprised at the touch, but his eyes quickly met Aella's, and she could see the slight shimmer of tears in those hopeful eyes. Lexi put her confusion at Aella's slip aside and smiled at her best friend demeanor over just those two words. But as quickly as the hope had appeared, it disappeared, and a frown replaced it as he looked to Lexi, "So what changed?"

Lexi sighed frustratedly, "It's hard to explain... a lot was happening, but it all stems when we met up with Damon again in 1942. It's more of a body language than words, although-" Lexi raised her brows "-words were spoken."

"What do you mean, body language?" Aella questioned, her mind already turning with ideas.

"I can't explain it," Lexi tightened her lips. "If only I could show you but that's impos-"

"-What if you can?" Aella interrupted Lexi, and both vampires turned to look at the witch. "Do you remember the memory clear?"

"Well, memories..." Lexi shrugged, confused, but nodded. "But yeah, pretty clear."

Aella was quiet as she thought about what she was about to try, she turned to Stefan, and he swore he could see an idea developing in her eyes, "Do you remember before Tanner died and I was struggling to sleep from the vision I couldn't see clearly?" Stefan nodded, and she continued, "And when you asked, I tried to share the dream with you?"

"Yeah," Stefan nodded again, having some idea what she was thinking to do. "It worked the first time, and it also shared your emotions at the time."

"Caroline and Bonnie let me practice on them because I wanted to be able to develop the power more," Aella explained. "What if..." she slowly started to suggest, "I try and share Lexi's vision... with the both of us?"

"Can you do that?" Lexi questioned, and Aella only shook her head,

"I don't know. But that's been the way for most of my powers."

Stefan was concerned, "But it could hurt you."

Aella laughed sweetly at his protectiveness, "I could hurt myself walking up the stairs... we've all seen that!"

The two vampires chuckled, as Lexi remembered the multiple times she had saved Aella falling down AND up the stairs, "How can such a powerful witch be so clumsy?!"

"Preach!" Aella held up her hand.

"It's because she's always thinking of ways to help others, she forgets what she's doing," Stefan teased, nudging her nose with his, but also speaking the truth.

Aella embraced the intimacy for a moment then turned to Lexi, "So," she waved her fingers at the blonde. "Do you trust me to try this out."

Lexi didn't hesitate for one moment and smiled at her clumsy friend, "Absolutely."

"But are you sure you want us to see everything," Stefan questioned her. "These are your memories and feelings were going to experience."

"Yes," she nodded with finality. "It's time you understood Damon more."

Aella looked to her boyfriend when he nodded, and Lexi's answer, she held her left hand to Stefan's temple, and her right to Lexi's, closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, "Okay, close your eyes. Stefan: I want you to try and clear your mind of any thoughts or emotions. Lexi: I want you to imagine that moment you and Stefan came to New Orleans to find Damon. Remember the place you were in, the sounds, the smell, how you felt..."

**As Lexi closed her eyes, the black space greeted her until Aella let out a sharp gasp, Lexi felt a push in her brain and when she opened her eyes to see Aella and the kitchen she was in fact in New Orleans, 1942, and as she looked down at herself she was dressed in the clothes she wore that night. Then she heard Stefan and turned to see him and herself walking in the bar:**

_ **"...It wasn't your fault." Stefan looked back to her former self, "Do I really have to say it wasn't his fault, Lexi?"** _

_ **"Yes," Lexi moved herself in front of Stefan. "Keep going."** _ _   
_

_ **Stefan continued, but his nerves could be heard in his words, "You're the only brother I have and... I hope that we can be friends... again."** _

_ **"Perfect," Lexi watched her past self-praise, Stefan. "Now, just remember we're here to talk to Damon, not to yell, not to drudge up the past and most definitely not to pick a fight."** _   
  
** Stefan watched his 40s self, and Lexi's 40s self turn their heads to find Damon sitting at the bar dressed in a suit. He smiled at the nerves he knew he had at that moment, but it wasn't visible... it was also nice to see Damon bobbing his head to the music. So carefree. **

_ **With a tap on the back, Damon turned to him, and Stefan remembered that exact feeling he felt in his stomach when his eyes met Damon's; Hope.** _   
_ **  
"You look like a guy I used to know."** _ _   
_

_ **"Hello, Damon."** _

_ **Damon patted his chest, playfully, "Come to put a stake in my heart?"** _

_ **"More like bury the hatchet," Stefan smiled and held his hand out for Damon.** _

** Stefan remembered that moment felt like hours rather than seconds until Damon looked at him and shook his hand, then pulling Stefan in a hug. **

**Stefan sadly stared at their past selves, that hug had finally felt like closure... like they were brothers again. He missed that.**   
**  
Aella watched Stefan, Damon, and Lexi laugh as Stefan told Damon stories of his new position. They were happy. They looked like loving brothers. She'd never seen Damon so relaxed... so happy.**

_ **"Think they have room for another driver?" Stefan seemed a bit surprised by what Damon is saying, and when she looked over at Lexi, she could see the blonde's smile had fallen from her face, but she was able to hide it with her glass from the brothers. "I could handle some war if it meant spending quality time with my little brother."** _

_ **Lexi angrily sipped her drink, not happy with Damon's idea, especially when Stefan seemed to think the idea a good one, "Tell you what, I'll talk to my CO." Stefan drank the remainder of his drink and got up, "I'm gonna get us another round."** _

_ **Aella leaned forward when Stefan left, and Lexi's smile aimed at Damon strained itself as she told Damon through her teeth, "You're not going."** _ _   
_

_ **Damon glared, "I don't like you."** _

** There was the Damon Aella knew! **

_ **Lexi ignored his words, "In 1912, you pressured Stefan to drink human blood. He's been trying to put his ripper days behind him, but he needs to see death and blood and deal with them as part of life. He needs balance, restraint."** _

** Aella agreed wholeheartedly with Lexi at that moment, from what she'd learned about Stefan until he left for Egypt, he had never seen those things without being personally affected. **

_ **"What makes you think I'm not balanced and restrained?"** _ _   
_

** Stefan watched he and Damon cheers to Egypt, and then he spotted a familiar face walking through the crowd and call out Damon's name. He had put this part of his memory hidden away due to his reaction to the blood of the poor woman. It was a fuzzy memory due to his panic at the sight of blood on his hand when Damon's friends passed the woman around. **

_ **"L..l..lexi," he saw himself panic while holding his own hand away from him. But he also saw the pain on Damon's face at his past self panic... actually concern on his face.** _

_ **"Get away from him!" he could see Lexi shout at Damon, but that concern was still on Damon's face as he exclaimed his brother's name, "Stefan!"** _

** But Stefan knew his past self had no idea, all that was going through his mind was the call of the human blood. The Ripper shouting for him to taste it. He never got to see the hurt in Damon's eyes when Lexi grabbed Stefan, ready to leave the bar. Even the last call of his name from his elder brother didn't factor into Stefan's mind. But as Stefan watched Lexi start to lead his past self away he didn't miss the sorrow on Damon's face as he clung to her rather than him, or the hatred that developed when Lexi turned back to Damon and motioned to Charlotte: **

_ **"She's better off without you, too."** _

**..............................................**

**..............................................**

** Aella gasped as she felt her power push against her chest, she opened her eyes expecting to be back in the kitchen following Lexi's trip down memory lane... a trip that didn't really explain much. Still, instead, but instead, she was in a train station, and when she saw Damon in the same uniform Stefan was in during the last memory, she guessed it was still 1942. She watched Damon place his luggage on a cart and looked for signs of past Lexi and Stefan but she was unable to. **

_ **"Damon."** _

** Aella turned, like Damon, at Lexi's voice, and when she saw the blonde hidden in the shadows alone, she knew this must have been the moment Damon's hate began. **

_ **"I know what you did, and you're not going overseas with Stefan. Do you understand me?"** _

** Stefan frowned at Lexi's words, what had Damon done, and why had she never told him that Damon had come to the train station. Stefan was led to believe that Damon had simply run off following the incident at the bar.   
**

_ **"Well, Uncle Sam begs to differ."** _

_ **Lexi didn't budge, "You just killed twelve innocent people."** _

** _ Stefan's brows raised at her words as Damon walked towards her... Damon had killed 12 people? Why hadn't Lexi told him that? Or any of this? _ **

_ **Damon snarled at the blonde, "How do you know they didn't have it coming?"** _ _ **Your brother has spent the last twenty years racked with guilt, fighting the temptation to drink human blood. He's serving in the war as penance for the pain that he has caused. If he finds out what you did, he'll want to know how it is you function without guilt for the things that you do. He'll turn to you for guidance like he did before, and he'll become the Ripper of Monterey all over again."** _

**Stefan solemnly listened to Lexi's words.**

**She was right.**

**She was right about it all.**

**Lexi was always there to save him... even if she became the person for Damon to hate.**

_ **"I've pretty much been on my own since our little falling out in 1912. Did you ever think that I just need my little brother?"** _

** Aella's eyes filled up at the sadness in Damon's words. She wasn't too sure in the bar scene when Stefan and Damon made up until Stefan's freak out and this moment. Damon really just wanted to be his brother again. **

** _Lexi sadly told him, "And that's why you can't go. It might be good for you, Damon. But it will destroy Stefan."_ **

**Lexi turned to look out the windows, and when Damon turned too, Aella was finally able to spot Stefan, looking around for his brother before his train arrived. Aella realized then that Stefan had no clue this conversation had never happened, and she now knew why Damon hated Lexi.**

_ **"For once, you need to put someone else in front of yourself."** _ _ **   
** _

_ **Lexi watched her past self try to put some sense into Damon's self-centered head, "You need to let him go."** _

** _   
_ ** _ **She watched herself watch Damon walk away and saw how he looked at Stefan again with a sad look upon his face, "Good luck, Brother."** _

** As Damon picked up his luggage and left past Lexi and current Lexi knew they had made the right move, and being able to watch the confrontation again, current Lexi knew she wouldn't change anything.  **

With another gasp from Aella, the three fell out of the visions from Lexi's memories. Aella's eyes turned straight to Stefan, who had learned a whole lot of new information. Stefan stared down at the counter, his mind on the two memories, the fact he was a part of them... yet not at the same time.

"Stefan?" Lexi hesitantly got her best friend's attention, but Stefan didn't look up. She glanced at Aella, who could only shrug helplessly, and so she tried again, "Stefan?"

"Yeah?" Stefan mumbled but also lifted his head to Lexi, but said nothing else.

"Do you hate me?"

Aella's eyes widened at Lexi's question, no words, and the way she said it; she was scared to lose her best friend. Stefan's eyes widened, and he was quick to take Lexi's hand, "No. No way Lex... it's just a lot to process."

Aella's hand joined their conjoined one, and she squeezed their hands in support, causing the two vampires to look up at her, "And what have you processed so far?"

Stefan smiled halfheartedly, "Well, I can see why Damon's not the biggest fan of Lexi... you basically told him exactly what he needed, but didn't want to hear."

Lexi weakly laughed, happy he had _some_ humor regarding the situation, "I'm sorry I never told you."

"Don't be," Stefan shook his head and squeezed her hand again, action replacing his emotions. "I wouldn't have had the experience to understand why you did it... until now." He then looked to Aella and smiled proudly at his girlfriend, he pulled his hand from under her's and Lexi's and took hold of her cheek, "And you... You were amazing. How are you?"

Aella blushed as she leaned into his hand, she shrugged lightly, "I feel okay.." but then she pulled a face as her words came out hoarsely, "But now my mouth is feeling really dry... That's happened in the past too."

Stefan was quick to help her after the gift of knowledge she had just bestowed upon him, "I'll get you some juice."

Lexi smiled at the two of them, and as Stefan was filling as glass for Aella, she removed her hand, that still rested under Aella's, and placed it on top, giving her hand a soft squeeze, "He's right... that was amazing, Aella. The details, the feelings... I've never seen anything like it."

Aella smiled at Lexi's words, but ignoring that last statement, it was starting to become a regular thing with the vampires she knew, which only caused her worries to increase. If her 200-year-old boyfriend and his best friend, who was even older, had never seen witchcraft like it before, then how the hell was she supposed to know!

Stefan slid over the orange juice and watched until Aella had drunk at least a third of the glass before looking to Lexi, "One thing is still bothering me."

Aella snorted into her orange, "You mean how Damon always seems to find the ones that have an extra ten screws loose?"

Stefan let out a slight chuckle at her words before carrying on, "I can understand why Damon is not your-" he thought over what term he could use as Lexi and Aella grinned "-biggest fan, but what caused you to hate him so much?"

"Oh, I could give you a list right now," Aella snickered then started listing off. "Self-centered, paranoid, completely remorseless, sadistic, manipulative, violent, and that's just at the top of my head... oh and not to forget being the world's biggest dick head!"

Lexi laughed at the brunette, "While I could use any of those descriptions, it's probably because the last time I saw him, he took my daylight ring just before sunrise and left me on a roof to die."

Stefan and Aella's amused faces turned flat as Lexi jovial sentence as Aella stuttered out a very attractive, "Uu-wha..?"

"Damnit, Lexi!" Stefan fumed, banging the worktop, "That I should have known."

"He'd spent most of the decade in New York City, where he was living recklessly and feeding on/killing as many people as he could," Lexi shrugged off his anger. "He'd turned his humanity off... I survived. Story over."

"Lex-"

"-Story over, Stefan." Lexi interrupted him, giving him a fierce stare, and Stefan submitted by holding his hands up.


	43. You hurt that girl and you will pay.

It was quiet in the kitchen as Aella awkwardly continued sipping her juice. When it passed the five-minute mark of silence, Aella decided to suggest an idea that had been floating around for a few days, "Sooooo... I had a thought..."

The vampires groaned in sync, which caused the two of them to finally meet each other's eyes and betray their anger with each other when small grins appeared at Aella words.

"Is this thought more successful than when you blown up 50 balloons and then put them in a bag taped to the doorway to scare me when I opened it, only to realize that the door swung the opposite way... and the bag never opened?" Lexi smirked and had to chuckle when Aella stuck out her tongue at her.

"Or about the time you tried to do the snow sled scene from Home Alone..." Stefan grinned at her, "And if Lexi hadn't have been around to catch you, we would have been spending the evening at the hospital."

"They don't count," Aella held a finger up to both of them with a firm nod. "Those were boredom ideas... Not thoughts! Plus-" she grinned evilly at the blonde"-that was the most fun Lexi's had since Stefan's birthday, right, Lex?"

Lexi was quiet as she tried to hide her amusement, but Aella's grin could not hold it back, and she had to laugh and nod at the moment Aella realized her Sled was not cooperating on the large stairs within the Salvatore Mansion as she screamed out for Stefan in terror. "That was a moment to remember forever."

Aella pointed at the blonde proudly as Stefan rolled his eyes, "What's your thought?"

Aella decided this was a subject where it was always best to rip off the bandaid quick, and that's how she delivered her thought, "Can vampires become immune to vervain?"

Lexi and Stefan winced without a second thought at the notion. Before they could argue, Aella continued, "Try not to think about the pain it would take to go through, but really think what the possibilities could be if you both became immune to one of the main things that can affect you."

Stefan looked to Lexi and shrugged his shoulder, "She's not wrong." Aella smirked, and Stefan was quick to remove it as he added, "this time."

This time Aella's tongue poked out at him.

"But how would we do it?" Lexi asked Aella, she'd heard of vampires trying in the past but no succeeding due to the pain.

"It's different to blood..." Aella began to explain more of what she had been pondering the past few weeks. "It's a weapon that you can't hide within anything. I think like we did with Stefan's human blood. We'd be better just to start small, multiple times a day, and work our way up."

Lexi and Stefan shared a secret conversation with their eyes that had Aella amazed the first time they had done it, with a quick nod Stefan left the room only to return seconds later with a very familiar glass bottle with liquid inside.

"Now?" Aella squealed, eyes wide.

Stefan poured only a few drops into two shot glasses, "Better to start now before we back out later."

Aella winced as the two vampires picked up the glasses and shared to hesitant nods, there was no easy way to do it though, even if diluted with any other liquid it was still poison to their bodies. And the more potent vervain they drank it now, the quicker - she hoped - they would become accustomed to it within their bodies. She closed her eyes when the two swallowed the few drops, feeling slightly sick as they moaned in pain at the feeling. When they finished, Aella ran out to the bar and poured two full glasses of Whiskey and ran back, handing them to the still coughing vampires. They both gladly took the alcohol from her and gulped the drink down with a different painless wince.

"So?"

Lexi finished her drink and groaned, "That was horrible! But I think I can feel my insides healing."

Aella grimaced, "Okay, one: TMI Lexi, and two: You can actually do that?!"

Stefan coughed out a laugh at Aella's intrigue with the weirdest things as Lexi left the room but nevertheless smiled as she wrapped her arm around and hugging him tight in comfort. It was the small things like that which gave him the most satisfaction out of their relationship... most would take for granted but he couldn't after finally finding her following decades of searching for the one.

When Lexi returned with a bag of blood and poured a large amount into the two empty glasses, Stefan's arm tightened around Aella, he may have now been drinking it on its own, but that was more than he'd had when combining the shots he took daily.

Feeling his hesitancy Lexi smiled softly at him, "You'll need extra, the vervain would have weakened us both."

Aella squeezed his waist tight, "You can do it."

And there were was another one of those moments that Stefan simply soured in, Aella's trust in him was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever felt, and with that trust and his best friends support, he drank the whole glass.

**AELLA'S DIARY**

**DAY 30**

**Phase two began that day, and as it was only one day before December, it seemed like everything was finally going well. Lexi and Stefan were now only daily shots of vervain after they began to build up their intolerance. It meant growing more vervain, and that's when Phase three began... I had always wondered why the town kept all the vervain stock in one place (the Salvatore basement), and I decided to myself that it was a dumb idea and so I hatched my own plan to deal with it.**

**As one of my legal guardians, Jenna, had a credit card that was for me and only me, anything that needed paying because of me it would be used for - she and Grams both had one. Jenna only used it when it was time to buy school supplies or if I wanted clothes, but other than that, she got money from my Uncle... Anyway, long story short, I stole it.**

**Well, can it be stolen if it's for me?**

**That was the problem with asking a diary... it never responds!**

**Continuing, I borrowed the card and bought a small storage shed...**

**How can you buy that Aella? I can hear you asking Diary... Weeeeelllllll having dead parents, and dead grandparents that were worth a lot of money helps in times like this.**

**I tell -Write?- a lie that I was the only one that knew about this, but as with all my plans, there was one person on this earth that knew everything... Caroline Forbes. Caroline had found a kind little old man and his wife, who were happy for us to buy their warehouse and look after our vervain growing there for a small price... and so our secret vervain stash was ago.**

**As I write this I'm shocked what we could do in 30 days; 30 days to build up a tolerance of human blood, less than 30 days to make shots of vervain not feel like a torture session, 30 days for Stefan to feel free, happy, and baggage-free finally, and 30 days for Stefan and I to fall more in love with each other than ever.**

**We did it!**

**I just hope that's all the drama we have for now.**

**Write ya soon, Diary!**

** SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE **

Lexi held Aella tight as they stood in the foyer alongside Stefan, Lexi was sure Stefan didn't need her help anymore, and she missed Lee. Bonnie, Jeremy, and Caroline had already said their goodbyes earlier, and now all that was left was a tearful Aella and a sad Stefan.

"I don't want to let go," Aella whispered into Lexi's shoulder, standing on her tiptoes, so her face was pressed elsewhere.

"Me neither," Lexi squeezed her tight. "But, you have your man, and I need to see mine now."

"Tell him to come here," Aella smirked as they finally pulled away. "Then it'll be three vampires and a witch against Damon."

Lexi raised a brow at her friend, "Damon and Lee together is not what's best for either of them for a LONG time!"

Aella shrugged and stepped back so Lexi and Stefan could say their goodbyes. They held each other close and kept their goodbyes to only between the two of them, but as they both stepped back, Aella could see the shimmer of tears in both their eyes. They knew that this goodbye couldn't have happened if it wasn't for Aella.

"Well," Lexi sniffed up to push away the tears and held her bag over her shoulder. "It's been crazy, fun, slightly painful, and life-changing... but I wouldn't change a thing."

Stefan pulled Aella close to him, allow her presence to give him some comfort, he looked over to Lexi and smiled softly at her "And neither would I. Thank you Lexi... for everything."

Lexi turned to leave when Aella let out a squeak, "Wait! I forgot-" she searched her pockets as Lexi raised a brow at Stefan who could only shrug, he too confused. Aella pulled something out of her pocket with a triumphant 'aha!' Then held out her fist to Lexi. She turned her fist open to reveal two decorative rings, "-you can't leave without these."

Lexi slowly stepped over to Aella and stared down at the rings but didn't pick them up, "Are these...?"

Aella smiled brightly, hand not budging as she nodded at the blonde, "I can't imagine not being able to enjoy the daylight with Stefan, and to have yours taken so cruelly... well I thought it was time you got your own again."

Tears flooded Lexi's eyes, but she refused to let them go until Aella answered her next question, "And the second ring?"

Aella, just being Aella, smiled at Lexi like she had been hit over the head, "It's for Lee, of course."

Lexi's tears fell then, and she pulled Aella unto yet another hug, although this time, Aella wasn't expecting the hug and didn't have time to rise onto her toes, so her face became smushed in Lexi's lovely bosom, "Thank you. Thank you!" Lexi whispered in her hair, and Aella could only nod, or things would really become awkward. Lexi pulled away and looked between Aella and Stefan before her eyes returned to Stefan, and she held a finger up to him, "If you EVER let this girl go, or hurt her, you are a dead man Stefan Salvatore."

Aella giggled as Stefan let out a slight chuckle. Aella decided that the two needed another minute to say goodbye, alone, and started to step back towards the house. "I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes. Bye, Lex."

"Bye, A." Lexi waved and looked back down the rings and back to Aella before she entered the house, "And thank you... for everything."

Aella's blush took over her face at the praise and nodded towards her new friend before heading back into the house.

Lexi listened, and when she heard Aella's steps start going upstairs, she looked to Stefan with eyes wide, "How the hell did she do that? I thought only vampires could have one day ring?"

Stefan could only shrug, but smiled proudly at his girlfriends kind gift, "I have no idea Lexi, this was all her. But Aella has this amazing intuition to magic; it's like she can feel the magic as if it was a living thing, and knows if something can work and can change spells around to fit her purpose, she's like no other witch I've seen before."

"She's amazing!" Lexi nodded as she placed the ring on her fingers, smiling when it fit perfectly. "But that will give me something to go on with my search."

Stefan raised his brow, "Anything?"

"Only that stupid hospital that keeps popping up," Lexi snarled, she hated when something wasn't so easy. "But as soon as I find anything I'll update you."

Stefan nodded and pulled Lexi in for one final hug, "Keep in touch, Lexi."

"I will Stef," Lexi nodded against his shoulder, as they pulled away she pointed a threatening finger at him again, "And I'm serious... you hurt that girl, and you will pay."

Stefan glanced back at the house, his smile proud, then glanced back at Aella, "I hurt her, and I'll call you to hurt me."

Lexi nodded, happy he had found Aella, then with a blink of an eye, she was gone. Glad to be returning to Lee, but sad to be leaving her best friend and the person she owed her life to... her new friend.

Stefan watched the direction Lexi had ran as if he could see her leaving. After a few moments, he sighed sadly that his best friend, his person, had gone, but as he heard Aella singing along to the radio, his smile returned. He made his way back into the house and up to his room where his girlfriend was.

He leaned against the door frame as he watched Aella pack up her things that had gathered there during her stay, now he was able to drink blood and vervain with no issues, and with Lexi leaving, it was time for Aella to return home. They had been lucky that Jenna and Sheila hadn't caught on to their living arrangements, and they didn't want to risk it anymore.

While Aella was folding her clothes into her bag, Stefan stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Without thinking, Aella dropped the top back onto the bed and held Stefan's arms around her tighter as he snuggled into her neck, "Thank you," he whispered.

Aella smiled at the words and allowed them a moment just to themselves before she picked up her top and started folding it again, Stefan's arms still around her.

Stefan squeezed again, "I mean it." He turned her around in his arms, neither bothered as the top fell to the ground. He kisses her lips, her nose, her forehead, "Thank you. What you did for Lexi then, for me since I met you, thank you."

Aella stood up on her tiptoes and pecked Stefan's lips with hers, as she flattened her feet she just shrugged, "You're worth it. As long as you're happy, you're always worth it."

Stefan stared into her gorgeous green eyes and without hesitation pulled Aella into a deep kiss, Aella let out a small moan and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer and kissing him with as much passion. Stefan lifted her with ease slightly off the ground, so he didn't have to bend and continued kissing her without pause. Aella then moved one of her arms from his neck and started swatting something behind her, Stefan became confused for a second until he heard a thud, and then Aella arms returned to her place around his neck, and she softly bit his lip.

Stefan smirked to himself at the very clear message Aella was giving him as she knocked her bag of his bed and so he carried her swiftly round his bed and laid her delicately on the bed. Her head lay against the pillows, hair billowing around her head like a golden halo.

Stefan smiled down at her, admiring her beauty, "One good thing about Lexi leaving." Aella looked to him, confused, and he kissed her softly again, almost laughing when he pulled away slightly, and she followed his lips, "We get the place to ourselves again."

Aella giggled

  
As her fingers went to his hair automatically, smoothing his bronzed hair through her slim fingers, and with a raised brow, she smirked, "Ooh la la."

Stefan softly chuckled as his hands trace over the soft cotton on her torso, and just before he started kissing her again, as he started raising the comfy fabric, he whispered to her, "Ooh La La indeed."

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

Aella decided to stay one final night in Stefan's bed, especially after that performance. They hadn't had sex just yet, not while he was still learning how the human blood affected him, but Aella could happily say both she and Stefan were very satisfied as they fell asleep.

But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, especially when living in a Mystic Falls. Aella twisted in Stefan's arms as her dream of finally becoming an official mermaid (don't ask how it's a dream) her dream switched to her sat in her English class:

_She looked around as her teacher droned on about some famous writer until she saw Bonnie sat next to her; the only problem was that Bonnie wasn't in her English class._

_"Bonnie?" She whispered to her cousin._

_Bonnie gasped and turned to Aella with eyes wide, "Aella? What are you doing in my dream?"_

_"Your dream?" Aella repeated back, confused, "No, cuz. You're in my dream."_

_Bonnie was about the counter her argument with her own when they both realized that their teacher had gone quiet, in sync the two looked to where he was stood previously only for a woman in a cream gown and cream bonnet staring at them both, "It's coming."_

_Aella was about to question who the hell this woman was when Bonnie started mumbling to herself as she freaked out more and more, "Not again. No, no, no! Not again!"_

_"Bonnie?" Aella questioned leaning towards her cousins as she rocked back and forth at her desk, concern growing for her cousin, "What do you mean 'not agai-?"_

_But before Aella could finish her question, she was thrown into the dark woods, landing on the ground running, from what she had no clue, but her body continued running. She could feel the fear omitting from her pores, she entered a valley, and her legs stopped so she allowed herself to look around, seeing the ruins but not recognizing where she was as it was too dark. She opened her mouth to shout for help when she heard a scream, a scream she knew all too well, "Bonnie."_

_She ran in the direction she heard her cousin screams, shouting out her name! "Bonnie?.... Bonnie, where are you?"_

_She entered another open space with its own ruins and opened her mouth to shout for Bonnie again when she saw her cousin on the floor screaming, running over to her Aella crouched down and pulled Bonnie's arm from around her body to see if she was injured when her cousins face turned. Aella jumped back in surprise because the face was not Bonnie's, but the mystery woman from the classroom._

_"Who are you?" Aella questioned, breathing heavily. "Where's Bonnie?"_

_"I'm Emily," the woman smiled, and Aella's eyes became wide again when she realized this was her ancestor. "You know that. We're family."_

_"Why are you here? Where's Bonnie?" Aella questioned her again. She knew there was a reason she had seen Bonnie, and she knew this was now a vision._

_Emily raised a hand to Aella's face and softly stroked her cheek, "You can save them all Aella, you are the one. But Bonnie needs to finish her task."_

_Aella's mind ignored the words about herself and focused on what she had said about her cousin, "Bonnie? What task?"_

_Emily stroke her cheek once more, a proud smile on her face before she gestured around her, "This is where it started. And this is where it has to end. You know where I mean."_

_Aella was confused as hell and pushed for more answers from her dead ancestor, "I don't understand? Where is Bonnie?"_

_"You will," Emily smiled, and before Aella could question again a bright light emitted from Emily causing Aella to close her eyes tight, when she opened them, she was in the same clearing,y this time she knew where she was; Fell's Church._

_She heard a gasp and saw her cousin laid out on the floor in her pajamas, "Bonnie!" Bonnie's head shot up at her voice, relief on her face, but just as Aella was about to run over to her cousin, her vision faded as Bonnie called out her name._

"Bonnie!" Aella shot up in bed, awakening Stefan at the same time. Aella didn't give him time to question her and instead told him, "Bonnie's in trouble, we have to go to Fell's Church."


End file.
